Chuck vs The Prime Directive
by shortpinoyguy
Summary: Chuck finds out its Sarah's birthday and Director Graham is missing. Will Team Chuck be able to locate him in time or will they be too late? This story comes after Chuck vs. The Black Leather Couch.
1. A New Beginning

Chuck Bartowski sits behind his desk chewing on the tip of his pen between his teeth. He's hunched over his computer screen steadily typing away. The light brown dress shirt he's wearing is unbuttoned on top as his tie hangs loose around his neck. The sleeves on his dress shirt are folded below his elbows meaning he's digging into some serious work. The black pleated pants are a bit scratchy causing him to squirm in his chair. It's most certainly a far cry from what he used to wear but what didn't change are those unmistakable Chuck Taylor converse shoes that are currently on his feet.

He briefly stopped to take the pen out from between his teeth. He clicks the top of it with his right thumb in order to write down information on a yellow notepad filled with writings and scribbles just off to the side. The focus in eyes showed a new found intensity within them that hadn't been seen for quite some time. He continued punching the keys on his keyboard and after a few minutes, he paused to take a break in order to rub his eyes after staring at the computer screen for several hours.

He looks across the room to see the Tron Poster his father gave him when he was a little kid hanging near the door to his office. Looking at it, thoughts of his father began creeping into his mind. It had been 6 months since his father passed away and within that 6 month period he left his managerial job at Buy More and started his own business. A business that wouldn't be able to come to fruition if it hadn't been for Sarah's father Jeremiah Wexler giving him the seed money to basically start it from scratch.

Chuck, Sarah, her sister Cassidy and her father spent days searching for a suitable location for his business. There were several possibilities to where he would set up shop but none of them either didn't pan out or just didn't feel quite right. They would eventually find a sweet spot located in downtown Santa Monica within an area bustling with opportunities for not only networking, but also the possibility of expansion in the future. Chuck's business started out slow but as time went on it began to pick up through word of mouth, which was considered to him one of the best ways to advertise.

The first 2 months he would be mainly doing service calls and in house repairs of computers. It was a good feeling to be his own boss because it freed him to things such as close up shop whenever there was a mission. Chuck's business would eventually see enough profit to hire some employees to help him handle the load of work that seemingly piled on. Chuck would also hire a secretary, which Sarah and Ellie would be personally involved in helping in the selection process. To Chuck, it wasn't just about fixing and installing computers as it was also about creating games for both computers and video game systems. It was something he envisioned for his five year plan before being kicked out of Stanford. Anyways, he didn't whine about how hard it was because he loved what he did and quite frankly it kept him busy.

Chuck shakes those thoughts out of his head. He picks up the phone on his desk to his right. Next to the phone…a framed picture of the love his life Sarah Walker. A grin appears on his face as he presses #2 on his speed dial. After a few seconds of tapping his pen on his desk waiting for the person on the other end of the phone call to pick up it finally does.

"Hey, can you come in here." requested Chuck.

He hangs up placing the phone back down on its base and then continues typing away on his computer. Chuck suddenly hears a succession of rythmic knocks as the door opens to have Morgan Grimes standing at the doorway of his office. He's holding string cheese in his right hand and a can of grape soda with his left.

While Morgan is standing there, a name plaque on Chuck's office door behind his head reads: CHARLES BARTOWSKI with the words WHIZ KID SYSTEMS, Inc. on the bottom.

Thanks to Sarah and Casey, he has his Electrical Engineering Degree and his five year plan can possibly comes to fruition. Now when it came to naming his business he chose the name Whiz Kid. Whiz Kid was a fitting tribute to christen and call his business because it was the nickname given to his father by his friend Big Sal Tessio.

"What's up Chuck!" said Morgan as he shuffles over in front of Chuck's desk.

Morgan Grimes was a simple man who loved simple things in life. He loves to play video games namely Call of Duty on Xbox. He loves string cheese and grape soda both of which were habits that he wouldn't be breaking any time soon. Most importantly, he loves his girlfriend Anna Wu and after the first 3 months of living together they cohabitated quite nicely with the occasional squabbles that any normal couple goes through if you actually consider their relationship normal.

Chuck never in a million years thought his best friend Morgan would leave Buy More. He had a comfortable life of doing as little work as possible and he was good at it. However, when Chuck left it wasn't as fun anymore and the schemes being pulled weren't that fulfilling causing him to quit his job much to the chagrin of Big Mike. Why? He was left with the two most incompetent employees there…Jeff and Lester.

It would be Morgan who asked or should I say begged Chuck for a job to be along side him and despite growing concerns from his sister Ellie that it would be a mistake to hire him he would anyways. To Chuck he was more than just his best friend to him as he was considered a part of his family. A family member who at the moment had pieces of string cheese embedded within his beard.

"What's the situation on Zork?" asked Chuck.

Morgan bites into the remaining string cheese clutched in his right hand and then takes a quick sip of his grape soda. "Its looking good boss." replied Morgan with a grin on his face. "The boys in the tech department are working on some new codes so we're getting there."

"Morgan…" He paused shaking his head. "…how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me boss?"

"Sorry boss…I mean Chuck" responded Morgan quickly correcting himself. "What do you want to be called?"

"I don't know?" answered Chuck shrugging his shoulders.

Morgan shifted his head from left to right pursing his lips together contemplating what moniker to bestow on his tall, lanky best friend. From Chuck's standpoint the way he's looking at him was the same exact way a dog would look trying to understand what his master was saying. He couldn't help but be oddly transfixed at what Morgan id doing to the point where he's unconsciously mimicking him. Chuck's concentration would be broken when he suddenly snapped his fingers and pointed directly at him.

"I got it!" Morgan excitedly said.

"Do tell Morg."

Morgan meandered over to the side of his best friend's desk planting himself in front of Chuck. The brown haired business owner swiveled around in his comfy craftsmen brown leather swivel chair in order to look up and face him.

"Captain…" He give his answer with such ferver that Chuck knew it wasn't a joke. In his mind, he's being completely serious about it. The bearded little man continued on. "…since I consider you the Captain of this ship. Plus, if this were the U.S.S. Enterprise I would be your second in command.

He actually made sense Chuck thinks to himself. He could see that his best friend really wanted this keenly noticing both his eyebrows perking upwards expressing that please say yes look. Chuck takes a breathe and gives the best response that suited the situation.

"Make it so #1." Chuck commanded with a smile on his face.

A raised fist in victory is all Morgan gives and to celebrate he finished off the rest of his grape soda. Chuck quirked his right brow at his bearded best friend and chuckled with amusement.

"What's so funny?" a female voice asked.

Chuck turned his heads to see Sarah's sister standing at his doorway. Cassidy Wexler had on black open toed high heal shoes. She's wearing a grayish looking pants suit with a white top minus the jacket. Her blonde hair flowing freely past her shoulders leading to show the pearl necklace hanging around her neck. She's far less abrasive and not to mention bitchy when they first met at Weinerlicious.

"Hey Cass." said Chuck giving a nod of recognition towards her. "I was just laughing at what Morgan said.

He pointed at Morgan who was busy chugging down the remaining drops of grape soda in the can. Cassidy turned her attention towards the little bearded man standing there who still had bits and pieces of string cheese showing in his beard. She tilted her head slightly to the right and gave him a look cocking up her right eyebrow. From the blank look on his face, he had no idea what was going on.

"What!" inquired Morgan. He quickly looked down at the zipper of his pants to check if his fly is down.

"Nothing Morgan…" Cassidy responded shaking her head. "... I just came to see if Chuck is free so he can go with me to see Sarah." she added stepping into the office.

Chuck looked at his watch. "Yeah, I'm free." he replies. When did you get into town?"

"30 minutes ago, it's a surprise visit."

Chuck lifts himself out of his chair stepping around Morgan who was still checking to see if his fly was down. He gives her a hug and before leaving with Cassidy, a look of concern appears on his face causing him to turn to get his attention.

"No prank phone calls Morgan, I mean it."

Without looking up Morgan responded. "Gotcha buddy." He gives a quick thumbs up in Chuck's direction.

"Morgan!" This time Chuck's tone is more authoritative and emphasized showing he isn't playing around. "Just because you don't work at Buy More anymore doesn't mean you can make prank phone calls to Mighty Jock."

Morgan responded with a look of complete innocence on his face. As for Cassidy, she is standing in his office simply amused at what is going on.

"Why would you think it was me?"

Chuck walks over to the left side of his desk and opened the top drawer taking out an envelope. "I have the phone bill to prove it." He moves the chair to the side and stands in front of Morgan. "Do I have to repeat #4 of the prime directive to you?" he firmly stated.

Cassidy quirked her right brow at the bearded man standing a few feet away. She exudes this puzzled look on her face as to the meaning of what Chuck said. Her eyes shifted towards Morgan wincing as he is being thwapped on the forehead with the envelope containing the phone bill in question. To Cassidy, it looked liked a dog being reprimanded with a rolled up newspaper for being bad.

In the time Cassidy had gotten to know Morgan, she wondered why Chuck would be friends with a guy who she sees as immature and irresponsible. She stands there shaking her head and thinks to herself friendship aside, if he was an employee working for her she would immediately fire him on the spot. She couldn't rack her brain around it and just chalked it up to being a guy thing. Her thought process is soon broken when Chuck stands with his back to her as she hears him giving one last say to the little bearded man.

"Come on work with me buddy." pleaded Chuck.

"I will, you can count on me."

"I hope so." said Chuck as he turns to leave with Cassidy.

Morgan quickly stepped out hollering at Chuck down the hall. "I will not let you down dude!"

XXX

Orange Orange stands across the street from Whiz Kid Systems. The C.I.A would buy out the previous owner and completely renovate turning it into a cover business in order to keep a close eye on their most important intelligence asset. The frozen yogurt shop was situated within a populated area that had a tanning salon, a gym, sunglass hut, and a sandwich shop. On the surface, the froyo shop resembled a typical eating establishment that served tasty treats. However, located underneath was a state of the art command center where according to Casey they would finally have a place to run a first rate operation. The command center would be aptly named Castle.

The setting sun shined through the glass partition sitting on top of the counter hitting Sarah's gold locket hanging around her neck. The reflection of the sun hitting off the locket illuminated her face making it glow like an angel. The uniform she wore consisted of an orange headband holding back her long golden blonde locks, orange top that accentuated her assets, white Capri pants, and orange sneakers with blue shoelaces.

She began wiping down the counter itself when her thoughts turned to how glad she was that she no longer worked at Weinerlicious. She had two reasons one of them being that she just didn't like her manager Scooter. The other reasons was that at the end of the day her clothes smelled like sausage, but there was one upside in all that. Sarah kept the uniform not for posterity reasons but for the simple fact that Chuck found it sexy when she wore it especially in the bedroom to which a devilish smile slowly appears on her face.

It wasn't before long her thoughts gravitated towards her family, but more importantly her father Jeremiah Wexler. Wexler Industries provided state of the art weaponry for the United States military and he expected nothing less than absolute perfection in what his company built. He took great pride in not only all that he put in what he created, but also in his employees who he envisioned great potential in.

Sarah faced cringed at the thought of the word potential. Before joining the C.I.A taking the cover name Sarah Walker and being a top cover operative for Graham, she was DeAnna Wexler who grew up in the mountainous terrain of Breckinridge, Colorado and spent much of her young life vying for the approval of her father who continually pressed the point of utilizing her greatest potential.

She shakes her head knowing how much she truly despised it growing up with a father who in her own mind treated her and her sister as employees rather than daughters. It was a source of great pain for her emotionally and psychologically that it would cause her to lash out to spite him. DeAnna considered herself the black sheep of the family because of the trouble she would be always getting herself into whereby becoming a disappointment in her father's eyes.

It wouldn't be just her father eyes that she would see disappointment in as her sister Cassidy would exude them as well. As much as she loved her older sister when they were younger, Cassidy Wexler would turn out to be just like her father from her attitude to the way she carried herself. It irked her on how she would inherit the same annoying mannerisms and echo the same sentiments her father would give the times she bailed her out after finding out her little sister was in trouble getting into fights in school.

The relationship was a rocky one to say the least but DeAnna could always count on her mother Emily as her saving grace. She was the comforting buffer that would always help keep her sanity in check and shield the negativity coming from her husband and older daughter. Her mother knew she wasn't like her father and wouldn't end up following in his footseps like her older sister did. DeAnna would be creating her own footsteps to success and she did as she ended up being recruited into the C.I.A.

DeAnna Wexler and Sarah Walker were two different people. Yet, they were one in the same and both would eventually come face to face with not only their father but also General Beckman as well. It would be in a secret facility known as level 36 under Wexler Industries that her two worlds would collide in the same fashion as Chuck when Ellie was poisoned with a high dose of truth serum. In that brief moment in time, she immediately knew things would never be the same again.

She was certainly right especially when it pertained to the relationship with her father. During that time in level 36, she was locked in a room with her father. She would confront him about what his now deceased associate Marcus Stefano about the remark he made during the standoff where he referred to her as a bad investment. Those two words would be a significant trigger that would set her off causing all the pent up anger she repressed to explode out.

It was a liberating feeling to express all that she was feeling over a course of many years towards her father and to be quite honest punching him in the face felt good. Luckily, she was holding back a bit or she would have to explain to her mother and sister why she accidentally killed her father. However, she did feel guilty afterwards but something positive came out of that situation.

DeAnna Wexler would not only have a reconciliation with her past but the relationship with her father would finally be resolved to the point where they became closer. She would be eternally grateful to her father for sticking his company, as well as his own neck out in order to save both her career and relationship. A smile grew on her face at that thought but it would soon fade from her mind when she heard the bell ring causing her to draw her attention towards the front door. The smile that appeared on her face grew even larger as she sees Chuck with a big smile on his face enter with her sister Cassidy.

XXX

"How long are staying in town this time Cass?" inquired Sarah.

"Not long. I have business meeting and then I head back home to help dad with a new prototype he's creating for the military." replied Cassidy. "But you didn't hear that from me."

Chuck responded with a funny face as he gestures that his lips are sealed getting a laugh in the process.

Cassidy sat across the table from her sister and boyfriend. Sarah had looped her right arm around Chuck's left arm with her left hand intertwined with his as her head rested on his shoulder. For the life of her, she would have never expected her sister to fall in love wish such a nerd. Yet, sitting there she saw Sarah exhale a sigh of contentment and within that brief moment she admittedly was jealous that her baby sister finally found happiness but she wouldn't tell her that.

"We've certainly enjoyed your visits. Plus, the stories you've shared with me about your sister growing up were very enjoyable especially about the one where she gave herself a haircut." Chuck said giving a small chuckle.

"Hey, I was 6 years old and I didn't know any better." retorted Sarah as she slapped Chuck's left arm.

"So Chuck, I've been meaning to ask this ever since we left your office" said Cassidy.

"Ask away."

"What is the prime directive?" the eldest Wexler sister asked with vapid curiosity.

Cassidy noticed Chuck smirking as his eyes perked up when she requested him to explain it to her. She would learn how much of a nerd he truly is.

"When I started my business I came up with a prime directive. It's basically a set of guiding principles that I and my employees adhere to." said Chuck.

Cassidy merely nodded acknowledging her baby sister's boyfriend. "That's sounds reasonable." she retorted.

"Yeah it is." nodded Chuck. "It's based on the fictional universe of Star Trek in which the Prime Directive is considered to be Starfleet's General Order #1 and is the prominent guiding principle of United Federation of Planets.

As Cassidy is sitting there, she immediately thinks he's out of his mind? Basing the principles for his business on a t.v. show that wasn't that good to begin with. She wondered if he's one of those fans calling themselves Trekkies who pathetically dress up like their favorite character.

"Uh huh." responded Cassidy again nodding her head. What…uh…are those guiding principles?" she inquires with a bit of reluctance.

"Well…" said Chuck. "...the Directive states that members of Starfleet are not to interfere in the internal affairs of another species, especially the natural development of pre-warp civilizations, either by direct intervention, or technological revelation. When studying a planet's civilization, particularly during a planetary survey, the Prime Directive makes it clear that there is to be "No identification of self or mission. No interference with the social development of said planet. No references to space, other worlds, or advanced civilizations. Starfleet personnel are required to understand that allowing cultures to develop on their own is an important right and therefore must make any sacrifice to protect cultures from contamination, even at the cost of their own lives." the browned haired business owner states. "Anyways, that is what it is."It can better explained in the original series episode called 'Bread and Circuses'."

Cassidy just stared blankly at Chuck for a few seconds and then turned her attention towards Sarah. "Did you understand any of what he just said?" asked Cassidy.

Sarah smiled as she proudly looked at Chuck and then turned to look at her sister. "Nope and I'm a spy who speaks several different languages." she replied. "Whenever he and Morgan are in their own little world talking about things such as Star Trek I just smile and nod my head like you were doing."

"No I wasn't." Cassidy objected.

Sarah immediately chimed in. "Yes you were." I had that exact same look on your face when I inadvertently got pulled into a lengthy debate on who would win in a battle between Godzilla and Voltron.

"Run Sarah!" joked Cassidy as she playfully reached over to pull her away from Chuck.

"Seriously though…" Chuck knew he needed to clarify the guidelines for Cassidy's sake. "…I'm not using the exact guidelines/principles for my business. Mine are bit more modified in a way that coincides with them. Oh and no I'm not a Trekkie but Morgan is though.

"Of course." said Cassidy as she rolled her eyes.

"When I told Morgan about repeating #4 of the business prime directive it basically stated that no employee is to cause interference of any kind towards another business that would result in a possible physical or legal altercation resulting in total disharmony among the workplace."

"That makes perfect sense." Why didn't you say that in the first place."

"You asked what Star Trek's prime directive was, not mine. You have to be more specific next time Cass." Chuck replied as he shook his head.

Cassidy found herself biting her bottom lip in order to not say what she's thinking. Instead, she calmed herself enough to respond as she exuded a forced smile. "I will." she responded. Cassidy glanced down at her watch and then stood up from the table. "I better get going."

"Do you remember where the spare key to the house is hidden?" asked Chuck leaning back in chair.

"Yup. I'll see you two later tonight."

"Later Cass."

"See ya sis." said Sarah standing to give her big sister a hug.

Cassidy heads towards the door but before she does she turns around getting Sarah's attention. "Oh, happy 30th birthday by the way." she said.

Cassidy witnessed the surprised expression on her sister's face at the mention of it as she walked out of Orange Orange. She thought her little sister would be disappointed that nobody remembered. What she didn't see when she turned to walk out was the surprised expression on Chuck's face at finding out something he has been wanting to know for quite some time.

XXX

It was 8p.m. eastern standard time in Washington D.C. and C.I.A. Director Langston Graham exit's a local eatery named Teatro Goldoni. He frequented this place many times to the point where it became his prefered choice to eat at. The weather was chilly that night and the sudden rush of cool air caused him to briefly shutter. He began heading towards his 1987 Ford Black Crown Victoria parked just a few feet away and in his right hand, he's carrying a to go box of unfinished leftovers.

He spots a couple walking towards him. A man in his early 30's, 5'9, dark eyes, medium build, dark hair, slightly balding, black wing tip shoes, and wearing a gray pin stripe suit. On his right arm, he would be escorting a woman in her early 20's, slim build, about 5'5, blue eyes, dark maybe brunette hair, well endowed to say the least, wearing a light blue evening dress, a light blue shawl wrapped over he upper torso, white high heels, and carrying a small studded purse held in her right hand. When they pass each other they exchange nods and at the moments he mentally makes the call that they aren't a threat.

Langston Graham had been the Director for the C.I.A close to 30 years and within that time he was able to instantly get information down to the most insignificant detail with just one glance. He was a very cautious man and the only person he trusted was himself. Call it years of government training or just plain paranoia working in a business that is all about details he would not let down his guard for anything especially when it came to the safety of the United States.

When he reached his car door he places the take out box on the roof and then proceeded to rifle through his right front pocket for his keys. After a few seconds, he retrieved them and in the semi-lit area of the parking lot he searched for the key that would open the door. He would eventually locate it and as he's sticking the key in, he hears a noise causing him to tense up and reach for his concealed gun located within the right frontside of his coat.

He carefully surveyed the area spotting anyone or anything seemingly out of place. When he found that there was nothing to be alarmed about he opened the door, grabbed the tax out box, and jumped in closing the door in one fell swoop. He strategically placed the take out box containing the best lobster risotto in the city in the middle area of passenger. Next to the take out box, he places his M1911 single-action, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge along side it for precautionary reasons.

Several moments later he leaves to meet with General Beckman. He heads northwest on K St. towards 20th St. and the turns right inevitably turning right again on L ST. He passes Franklin Square and inside the car, the only light that is seen is shown on his eyes as the rectangular reflection from the rear view mirror exuding a sense of alertness as they dart back and forth on his surroundings. After a while, he notices a black Lincoln Town Car in his rear view mirror causing him to be suspicious because it had been following him for quite some time.

Graham implements evasive driving techniques in order to confirm that he is being followed. He turns on Connecticut Ave and makes several turns until he finds himself northwest of Mt. Vernon PL. Again the black Lincoln Town Care is behind leading him to make the decision to stop at the next street light he comes to in order for whoever is driving the car to make their next move. He turns into New York Ave. that is fairly unpopulated and close to College Park. He stops at the red light waiting for the black Lincoln Town Car to appear and when it does he reaches over for his gun setting next time.

He sets the gun on his lap facing the driver's side door as the car slowly creeps towards the left turn lane and stops next to Graham. Glancing inside the car he sees the occupant and quickly determines he's a white male, possible late 20's, sandy blonde hair, wearing a dark v length shirt, with a dark brown sport coat over it, and talking on a cell phone. The driver of the car glances at Graham as he is talking to someone on his cell phone causing Graham to discreetly rest his right hand on his gun, releasing the safety, and then placing his finger on the trigger. Graham takes a look up at the light and then glances back at the driver to his left who again continues talking on his cell phone taking another quick glance his way.

Seconds seem like hours as both are waiting for the light to turn. Suddenly, the light turns green with both cars moving forward. Graham keeps a vigilant eye as the black Lincoln Town Car veers off to the left and as he is moving forward a Black Dodge Full Size Ram Van plows into his car basically T-boning it with such force it spins causes the leftovers laying on the passenger seat to spread all over the interior of the car including Graham. The impact causes him to knock his head against the drivers side window as the car ends up lifeless in the middle of the intersection as smoke billows out from the engine. The black dodge full size van's front side is equally as torn up leading two occupants inside to immediately get out.

They both head to the back opening the back doors in order to take out a miniature version of the jaws of life and then head towards the damaged car. Inside Graham is slumped over a bit but still strapped into his seat by his seat belt. His eyes flicker as he turns his head to not only see the blurry image of two men trying to rip away the door, but also sees the red headlights of the car that turned left backing up towards his direction. A semi-conscious Graham with blood trickling down the left side of his face instinctively reaches for the gun in his lap but it isn't there. Within several minutes, the two men get the door open, retrieve Graham, from the wreckage, and place him in the truck of the black Lincoln Town Car. The two men driving the van get into the car that was clearly a distraction in order to get the better of the veteran government agent. All this is performed in quick precision timing and when it was all said and done, all 3 men disappear into the night with C.I.A Director Graham in their clutches.

XXX

_**Note:** Please comment and tell what you think. I changed my usual style that many of you are accustomed to. I hope you enjoy the read._


	2. Duty Calls

"It's your birthday today?" asked Chuck turning with astonishment to face Sarah.

Sarah wintessed Chuck's eyes light up as the oh so familiar smile that undeniably made her weak in the knees appears on his face. Each time he flashed that smile she knew she was a goner but she steeled herself the best she could in order to avoid completely succumbing to it.

"No...well not exactly." responded Sarah.

Chuck's smile fell flat as he slowly stepped in front of Sarah with a bewildered look on his face. He looked thinking how could any person not know their birthday let alone her own. He made it a point at that exact moment to ask her.

"Is it or is it not your birthday?"

"Yes…" Chuck's smile reappeared. "…and no." replied Sarah in a cryptic way.

The smile that reappeared became instantly flat once again causing Chuck to close his eyes and reach up with his right hand to rub his forehead.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm having a brain freeze."

It became perfectly clear to Chuck that he's talking with an indecisive woman who had no idea if today is her birthday. It left him totally confused and to be perfectly honest it's her profession as a spy to keep people, mainly men, mentally off balance. She's superb at it and if she is in fact doing it to him now it was working superbly.

"But you didn't eat any frozen yogurt." said Sarah expressing a puzzled look on her face.

"I know."

It takes a second before Sarah realized what she was doing. In that instance, she immediately reaches over with both hands taking Chuck by his left hand and guided him back to the table they were sitting at with Cassidy. As they sit there, Sarah begins rubbing the top of his left hand with both her thumbs.

The tension in Chuck's face begins to relax as Sarah massages it causing him to gradually experience a soothing sensation that travels up his arm and inevitably all over his body. A hint of a grin appears on his face as he opens his eyes to see Sarah smiling at him. She lifts Chuck's left hand and kisses it.

"Feel better?" inquires Sarah.

Chuck's grin turns into a smile to where he breathes out through his nose a sigh of contentment. "Much."

"I'm sorry."

Chuck responds by rubbing Sarah's fingers on her right hand. She glances down tilting her head a bit to the side to where she peers up giving him a look that would cause any guy's brain to turn to mush. In his head, he tried to say out loud I forgive you but what ended coming out was something totally uncomprehendable.

Sarah found Chuck's response quite adorable and the fact she had the ability to still make him not able to form words after being together for so long meant she was doing something right. The goofy look he gave her as he nervously swallows is evidence enough for her and in her own mind it mad him even cuter than he already is.

She thought to herself that it now time to share that piece of information with him and beside he would eventually find out sooner or later through talking with her family.

"Yes it's my birthday…but no it's not today."

"When is it then?" Chuck inquired quirking his right brow.

The anticipation Chuck feels at that moment could be seen in his face as his eyebrows perk up and eyes widened to the point where they looked like they were about to pop out of its sockets. It took everything in his power to contain the level of excitement and intrigue bubbling within him as she gave her answer.

"November 12th." Sarah expected an energetic reaction but what she received instead was something totally different…complete silence. Chuck sits there for a moment nodding as he let the information she just revealed to him sink in. A look of disappointment appears on her face causing her to inquire what was wrong. "Chuck, aren't you going to say something?"

Chuck quickly snaps out of his brief trance responding to her question. "Yeah, sorry about that." "November 12th…this Friday. Huh…so that makes you a Scorpio." he answered with a smirk on his face.

"I guess so. I never really looked into it and besides, when I joined the C.I.A. birthdays never really seemed to matter as much." Sarah said with lack of enthusiasm expressed in her voice. "Plus, after a while you start to not care to where I ended forgetting."

"Why?" Chuck asked with curiosity.

"It's not because I'm the ever so dreaded age of 30 if that's what you're thinking." chuckled Sarah. Shaking her head, she began thinking back on the life she had before meeting Chuck. "Each mission we're assigned you don't know whether or not you'll be coming back and that is why they first tell you at the academy a spy is considered expandable. So, I put all my focus on my training and the missions setting aside things that were trivial distractions."

Chuck sat there listening intently as she opened herself up giving him more insight into her life as a top spy for the C.I.A. He couldn't help but feel sympathy for her as he reached over rubbing her left arm.

"It must have been hard on you ." Chuck softly said.

"Early on in my career it did, especially when it involved missions where a mark or someone close to the mark celebrated a birthday. "The look of happiness on their faces…" She paused searching for what to say next. "…it was just difficult to handle but I was able to cope."

The difficulty Sarah currently faced sharing something as not being able to celebrate a birthday made it all too clear to Chuck that the C.I.A took much more away from her than he thought. He could clearly see the pain and aguish within her eyes knowing a part of her, in some ways, died as she spent the better part growing up emotionally constipated like Casey.

It's at that point, a light bulb turned on his head leading him to suddenly hit the table with his right hand causing Sarah to be startled. The reaction she didn't get before is now clearly being expressed as Chuck's body language became more animated as he proceeded to stand up. Sarah witnessed a smile appear on his face and she knew by the look on his face that something is up.

"I'm throwing you a birthday party and it will be the best one you'll ever have of your entire life." Chuck excitedly stated as he quickly pointed at her.

Sarah shakes her head in somewhat disbelief at the thoughtful gesture. "You don't have to that sweetie."

Chuck reaches down and gently takes both her hands lifting her out of the her seat inevitably pulling her into an embrace. He hold's her by the waist as Sarah wraps her arms around his neck and peers up into his chocolate brown eyes.

"I want to because I love you." answered Chuck leaning forward to softly whisper in her left ear.

Sarah's heart melted when she heard those words whispered into her ear. She leans back to look up at him and feels the warmth in his eyes as he peered into her own. Instead of saying those three words back to him, she pulls herself up standing on her tippy toes pressing her lips against his with their eyes closing in the process.

Her mouth opens slightly allowing Chuck's tongue to slip slowly into it intertwining with hers. The sensation…the taste of his kiss was something so different than anyone she ever experienced it with and that included Bryce. With Chuck it was the thrill and passion that came from his heart as he gently held her.

When it came to Bryce it was all about the thrill and heat of the moment as he was forceful in every move that he made. Chuck far surpassed in areas of what Bryce was able to do. The thought of Bryce is quickly removed from her mind. She opens her eyes to stroke his face with her right hand.

At the same time she did that, Chuck opens his eyes giving way for their lips to separate just enough for him to smile leading Sarah to do the same as well. As they both lingered there with their faces inches away from each as their foreheads touch ever so slightly they suddenly hear the sound of someone clearing their throat.

They both turn their heads to in the direction of the source. The newest member of Team Chuck, Travis Riley, stuck half his body out the door to the back room with an apologetic look on his face.

"Hey guys, sorry to…uh…interrupt." said Travis briefly waving his hand to greet the two lovebirds.

Sarah buried her head in Chuck's chest slightly embarrassed as Chuck kisses the top of her head. He then turns to see what his new teammate wanted."

"What's up Trav?" inquired Chuck with a small hint of laughter under his breathe.

"Casey said knock off the tonsil hockey and get your asses down to Castle ASAP." Travis answered as he motioned behind him with his right thumb." "Briefing in 10 minutes with General Beckman." he added.

Chuck and Sarah turn their heads to glance up at the hidden security camera above the door then look back at Travis.

Chuck sighs and then gives his response to Travis. "We'll be right down man."

"All righty then." said Travis hitting the side of the door with his right palm. He quickly disappears behind the door leaving Chuck and Sarah along once again.

"Duty Calls." said Sarah peering up at him expressing a soft smile.

"Unfortunately." Chuck retorted as he presses his lip on hers once again.

XXX

The headlights of the black Lincoln Town car shined on the darkened paved road as it drove towards parts unknown carrying 4 occupants inside, one of which being an injured Director Graham in the trunk. All 3 men are sitting in silence and by the intense look on each of their faces its serious business. The headlights of the cars coming from the opposite direction randomly flash on the 2 other occupants inside the car.

In the front passenger seat sits an African American male, wearing a black long sleeve turtleneck shirt, mid 30's bald, and sporting a marginally thin goatee. His expression is emotionless as he reads over a dossier that containing information that possibly concerns Graham. Using a small pocket light, he takes a few seconds to read over it he turns to hand it over his left shoulder to his associate located behind the driver.

In the back seat sit's a white male, late 30's, black long sleeve v neck shirt with a black sleeveless pocketed vest worn over it. He's wearing a black beanie on his head as tufts of dark hair protrude out from both sides and the bottom back of it. He nods at his fellow associate in the front passenger seat as he too takes out a small pocket light from his vest in order to read the dossier as well.

For the 3 occupants inside the car the ride was seemingly smooth but for Langston Graham it was anything but smooth. Inside the pitch back trunk the sounds of Graham's body is shifting within the interior of the trunk itself. Seconds later, a faint cough is distinctly heard within the darkness leading to a succession of coughs. Its at that point a slow back and forth shuffling with sounds of sporadic breathing is heard.

It is apparent that Graham has regained consciousness but the severity of how badly injured he is remains unknown as he struggles in his weakened state to possibly find anything that may shed light on his current situation. After a few moments of rummaging around in the dark silence is heard as he takes hold of something and shakes it inevitably hearing some sort of liquid coming from within the object.

A crack is heard as the sound of liquid is heard being shaken around leading to a neon greenish glow shown in his left hand to gradually illuminate the pitch black surroundings. Clearly laying on his back, Graham uses the remaining strength he has left to break the other neon glow stick in his right hand at the same time he's hold the other one in his left. A few seconds later the trunk is bathed in a neon greenish glow allowing him to see.

Graham drops the glow stick he's holding in his right hand to the side allowing him to reach over to check on the injury to the right side of his head. He sees blood on his hand leading him to reach over with his right arm to wipe it off with his sleeve but he quickly places his hand on his chest grimacing in pain possibly from the force of the seat belt against his body.

His left arm suddenly falls flat next the left side of his body as the neon green glow stick in his hand rolls a few inches away from his finger tips. He thinks to himself he's been in tougher situations than this and he has to keep fighting to stay alive no matter what happens. Graham lifts his head but then quickly drops it back down because of the pain causing him to shake his head as he closes his eyes.

XXX

In the secured underground location known as Castle, Agent John Casey sat in the conference table area finishing up several reports. He paused for a moment to take in his surroundings. To Casey, Castle is no doubt a first rate facility that he most definitely felt at home in and the days of the Buy More media room were long gone as better state of the art surveillance and communications equipment were at his disposal.

When Casey first stepped through the metal doors and stood overlooking the area for the first time he breathed in that new facility smell and gave a resounding grunt of approval. He personally considered Castle his kingdom…his baby if you will even though it would be the property of the C.I.A. There were quite a few of amenities he would enjoy such as the small gym area, which included a punching bag that would certainly be put to good use.

His attention turns towards the area of all the cache of weapons being held and how he reacted when he first saw them. The hulky NSA agent remembered standing there with a gleam in his eyes feeling euphoric as if he was like a kid in a candy store. Like any kid, he found himself drooling at the wondrous sight in front of him only to pull himself together. It was everything that someone in his profession as a spy could ask for.

Now when it came to his profession as a Buy More employee that was another story. After Chuck decided to leave, he stuck around a few weeks and then quit himself but not before making one last purchase of his own. The 2 years that he worked there, he was considered the top seller of Beastmaster Grills and it was only fitting that he leave with one. It would most definitely be put to good use.

Casey continued to live by Chuck's sister Ellie and his brother-in-law Devon. He thought it best to keep a watchful eye on them since Sarah was keeping her eyes, as well as everything else on Chuck. Ellie being the woman that she is would on occasion walk over to invite him over for dinner and despite his objection he would find himself at the table enjoying a lovely meal with some conversation.

In Casey's eyes Eleanor Faye Woodcomb projected a sweet, down to earth quality that he found endearing. He truly considered Devon a lucky man for marrying such a beautiful woman such as herself even if she was related to Chuck. Casey smirked as his thoughts turned from one beautiful woman to another as he began thinking about his relationship with Jayne Richardson who he began dating.

Jayne was a sweet, down to earth girl like Ellie with a mixture of an alluring, kick-butt mystique that he saw within her former love Ilsa. According to Chuck, they were a match made in heaven despite his loyalty to Reagan, which she overlooked. They were such a match he decided to work along side her going into business together cultivating miniature bonsai trees and other assorted plant life.

The business would be aptly named J and J's Bonsai Emporium located in the same vicinity as the froyo shop. Logistically and tactically speaking, it would be a perfect way to keep an eye on Chuck as he would not only be work along side the woman he cared about, but also work on his cultivating skills as a budding horticulturists. When it came to Jayne, he was compromised both personally and professionally.

Jayne was a very smart, intuitive, kickass woman who was able to sense that there was much more to him than being a guy who enjoyed doubled stuffed Oreo cookies and was excellent at convincing you to buy a Beastmaster Grill. She would find out about his other profession by happenstance and instead of tranquing her like he usually does he gave her a choice to either walk away or stay. Jayne chose the latter.

A smirk appeared on Casey's face but it would soon quickly disappear when Travis suddenly appears taking a seat to his right at the end of the conference table.

"They'll be right down." said Travis gesturing with a nod up at Orange Orange.

Casey responded with a soft grunt giving a brief glance towards Travis.

Travis Riley stood 5'8, hazel eyes, well-toned physique, and would inevitably grow out his regulation crew cut sporting a Keanu Reeves style haircut similar to the one in the movie The Replacements. He was Chuck and Casey rolled into one as he exhibited the no nonsense hard nosed by the book mentality of a soldier but at the same time exhibiting the qualities of a caring person who had a passion for video games as well.

He assimilated into Team Chuck quite nicely as the trio became a quartet once again. He knew that coming into a well established group with a mission success rate as excellent as theirs he would not only have to bring his A game, but he unceremoniously would take the place of Chuck's dad who gave his own life in the line of duty in his final act as a spy to thwart an delusional enemy bent on world domination.

He knew he had some pretty big shoes to fill and that would cause him to doubt whether or not he was truly deserving of joining the team, especially after reading over his list of credentials as a member of Section 8. He would be equally as impressed if not more talking with his former teammate William Jax who shared stories with him, as well as Team Chuck about their exploits back in the day.

Yet, it would be Chuck himself that would take him aside not only telling him that he did deserve it, but that his dad would be proud to have him take his spot as part of the team. Travis felt an overwhelming sense of honor hearing that coming from Chuck because that meant he would no longer feel as if he was trying to live up to the expectations of a man that Sarah and Casey respected a great deal.

He wasn't fully welcomed with open arms by Beckman, Graham, or even Casey for that matter at first, which was to be expected. Beckman and Graham were basically blackmailed by Sarah's father into begrudgingly allow an outsider into their operation knowing full well he would possibly jeopardize the secrecy of Chuck's special skill set. Their concerns would be warranted but they would all for naught.

It took a while for Casey to warm up to Travis but he would eventually tolerate him just in the same fashion as Chuck. Travis knew he fit right in when he made a mistake during a mission and he called him a numbnut, which was usually reserved for Chuck when he did something that deserved a Casey-like insult. In his own way, that would be a sign of welcome approval to the team from the hulking NSA agent.

Casey peers at his watch giving a low growl to show his agitation because it would be 2 minute till the briefing with General Beckman and the two people that he sent Travis to get were nowhere in sight. He glanced up at the metal door and then turned to Travis furrowing his eyebrows expressing another low growl with an added grunt, which clearly isn't a good sign especially for him if they didn't show up.

It would be 30 seconds before the briefing would start when Chuck and Sarah made their entrance much to the relief of Travis.

"What took you guys so long?" asked Travis expressing a somewhat emphatic look up towards Chuck as if to non verbally say thank God you showed up. "You're killing me here dude!"

Chuck and Sarah responded in unison with an apologetic I'm sorry and smile to go with it towards their friend and fellow teammate. They both took a seat in the two remaining chairs at the conference table. Chuck opened his mouth to apologize to Casey but would be immediately cut off.

"Can it Bartowski." grumbled Casey shooting a glaring look towards the both of them.

In usual Chuck fashion, he irritated Casey for nearly being late and he would have further irritated him if it had not for being General Beckman appearing on the monitor with a look of great concern on her face.

"We have a high level priority situation." firmly stated Beckman with a tone of urgency in her voice.

"What is the situation General that its deemed a high level priority?" asked Sarah.

"I have graves news that concerns you." answered Beckman expressing serious in her eyes.

Casey, Travis, and Chuck witness the woman sitting before them who is exuding the nonchalant manner of DeAnna Wexler. However, that would be quickly replaced by the hard nosed C.I.A agent Sarah Walker as soon as Beckman informed the situation personally involved her.

"Is it my father?" Sarah asked.

Sarah's thoughts are going a mile a minute as the fear of her father being captured or worse but she didn't show that. She prepared herself for what Beckman is about to say steeling herself knowing in the back of her mind that if it concerned her father those responsible would surely suffer the consequences.

"No, its not Agent Walker."

A huge weight is instantly lifted off her shoulders. Sarah breathes out a sigh of relief causing to her to gradually relax from the seemingly tense situation happening. She takes a brief moment to compose herself as Chuck places his right hand on the upper part of her back giving her comforting relief as well.

"General, if the high level priority is not Jeremiah Wexler then who may I ask is it?" Casey chimed in.

All 4 look look directly into the main monitor as General Beckman who momentary pauses to briefly glance down at her desk.

"C.I.A Director Graham." answered Beckman turning her attention directly to a visibly stunned Sarah.

XXX

The unfortunate news of the abduction of C.I.A Director Langston Graham was unsettling to everyone especially to Sarah. She sat there at the table thinking it was Graham who she considered a mentor advising and guiding her throughout the better of her career as a C.I.A Agent. She not only considered him a mentor but a father figure as well as she was being given the much need approval she sorely lack from her own father.

"When was he apprehended General?" inquired Travis with arms crossed standing off to the side near the foot of the stairs.

"30 minutes ago near the vicinity of College Park." responded Beckman. We were supposed to have a scheduled meeting but he didn't show up." she added.

Beckman hit's a button pulling up images of the scene at different angles of the smashed front end of the Black Dodge Ram smashed in and then Graham's 1987 Ford Black Crown Victoria with the right side smashed in as well.

"He has good taste in cars." muttered Casey under his breathe.

"What was that Major?" said Beckman turning his attention towards him.

Casey found himself in a somewhat precarious and awkward position as Beckman raised left eyebrow awaiting his answer. Casey is visibly thrown off as he was trying to think of something to say leading Chuck to quickly intervene.

"Uh General…" interjected Chuck pointing his finger in the air. "…I think what Casey was saying is do you have any idea who may have rammed his car and abducted Graham?"

"From what we were able to gather his abduction was well calculated and possibly planned ahead of time with 2 vehicles being involved."

"How so?" asked Sarah.

"A miniature version of the jaws of life was found near the opening of the driver's side door."

"Did he leave anything significant behind…anything that would be a possible clue on who may have taken him?" inquired Travis furrowing his eyebrows.

"Negative." said Beckman shaking her head. Beckman pulls up pictures of the interior of the car.

"Other than finding remnants of food from the restaurant Teatro Goldoni strewn all over the interior of the car we also found his gun on the driver's side floor which means that he sensed something was not quite right and drew his weapon."

"Did he fire his weapon at all?" Travis asked.

Beckman shakes her head again. "Negative." firmly stated Beckman. "There were no bullet casings found anywhere in or around the crash sight."

A look of concern is etched on each of the faces of Team Chuck.

"However, someone took a photo with their cell phone of the driver leaving the scene of the accident." added Beckman.

The somewhat grainy image of the man driving the black Lincoln Town car pulls up the screen. Chuck eyes begin to flutter leading him to flash on the following images:

_A bowl of cherries…_

_A patch with claws of some type of carnivorous animal…_

_Dishonorable discharge documents with Graham's name in it…_

_A military unit codenamed Wolverine…_

_Dossier with the following name under his picture: Kirk Archer_

_Lastly the bowl of cherries agin…_

"His name is Kirk Archer and he's a former member of an elite black ops squad for the C.I.A. codenamed Wolverine. He was dishonorably discharged for punching Graham in the face after he was punished for disobeying a director order." Chuck quickly spat.

"Dude, how do you do that?" asked Travis in amazement.

Chuck just responded with smirk. Beckman cleared her throat in order to get back to the matter at hand. "Excellent job Mr. Bartowski." said Beckman. "We know the who…possibly the why…and now we need the where."

Chuck shakes his head knowing the intersect didn't have the most important information needed to find Graham. In that brief moment, he thinks to himself he failed Sarah knowing how she considered him to be one of the most important men her life. His thought process was suddenly broken by Sarah speaking up.

"General, these guys knew what they were doing and the possibility of the second vehicle was used as a distraction in order to catch him completely off guard." Sarah stated as she stood up facing Beckman in the monitor.

"Agent Walker I know how personal this is for you but we need to act accordingly and in a professional manner." ordered Beckman. "It's imperative that you don't let your emotions distract you from the mission ahead."

Sarah nodded. Chuck had a curious look on his face as he pointed finger in the air in order to ask a question.

"General…uh…what is the prime directive when someone such as Director Graham getting captured?" asked Chuck.

"Excuse me?" retorted Beckman expressing a puzzled look on her face.

"What are you lip smacking about Bartowski?" grunted Casey.

Chuck glanced back and forth from Casey to Beckman as they stared at him waiting to explain himself. Suddenly, all eyes were on him putting him now in the awkward position and looking at Casey he knew he wouldn't bail him out. Fortunately, it would be Travis who knew what Chuck was talking about since he was familiar with the tv series Star Trek.

"I think what Chuck was trying to say General is what are the rules of engagement concerning the abduction of a high level government official such as Graham?" inquired Travis as he gave a slight nod towards Chuck who acknowledged that he got his back.

"Well Mr. Bartowski, since this is a matter of great importance and he has knowledge concerning all sorts of operations known and unknown he is your top priority." Beckman firmly stated looking at all 4 members of Team Chuck.

"What are our orders General?" inquired the burly NSA agent.

"Retrieve C.I.A. Director Graham and use what you know from the intel that Chuck was able to quickly gather." Beckman ordered. "This is a high level threat and I implore you to do what your team does best."

"And that would be General?" asked Travis.

"Get results by any means necessary." Beckman said expressing a look of seriousness as she pushed a button causing the monitor to go completely black.

XXX

**_Note:_** I gave Sarah the sign of the Scorpio not knowing what the qualities it entails. Here's what I found out and this is just part of what describes a Scorpio:

_Scorpios are the most intense, profound, powerful characters in the zodiac. Even when they appear self-controlled and calm there is a seething intensity of emotional energy under the placid exterior. They are like the volcano not far under the surface of a calm sea, it may burst into eruption at any moment. But those of us who are particularly perceptive will be aware of the harnessed aggression, the immense forcefulness, magnetic intensity, and often strangely hypnotic personality under the tranquil, but watchful composure of Scorpio. In conventional social gatherings they are pleasant to be with, thoughtful in conversation, dignified, and reserved, yet affable and courteous; they sometimes possess penetrating eyes which make their shyer companions feel naked and defenseless before them._

Please leave a comment and tell me what you think.


	3. The 11th Hour

Director Graham lay motionless on his back as he's bathed in neon green by the two glow sticks still illuminating the interior of the black Lincoln Town Car trunk. The spots of the crimson color of his blood showed on the collar of his white shirt. The cut to the left side of his face from hitting his head against the driver's side window after being ambushed seemingly clotted leaving a downward dried trail of blood towards his left ear.

It's eerily calm with the exception of the muffled sound of the engine as it purred along the road. Suddenly, the car hit what seemingly is a bump the road causing an unconscious Graham to awake. His eyes slowly open to the unfamiliar surroundings of a glowing neon green enclosure at first causing him to turn his head back and forth in a frantic manner only to get his bearing straights a few seconds later realizing where he is.

His head wasn't the only thing that was hurting as it would be his entire body. He begins mentally assessing his injuries and from what he could tell there was significant pain from his left shoulder, neck, chest, and left knee from possibly being slammed against the driver's side door. Graham knew he had to fight through the pain and in order to do that he had to distract himself by finding something to focus on.

Easier said than done he thought as he surveyed the area around him. Items such as old, oiled stained/tattered rags, a rusted silver hub cap, and several crumpled Subway wrappers were strewn about the floor of the trunk. Nothing to be concerned about he thought but what did concern him were two items that were further back in the trunk….a shovel and a rope. Whatever _he_ was planning it would most certainly be diabolical knowing him.

The focus on both the shovel and rope were soon broken when he heard what sounded like deviations in the road. At that point he began mentally taking into account what he could be able to hear. The number of times he would hear the deviations and the how long a break in between them gave him something to pass the time away because he did not know how long he would be in there.

Seconds seemed like minutes and minutes seemed like hours as he lay there looking or should I staring up at the trunk of the car. The neon, greenish glow illuminating the interior of the trunk helped keep his sanity in check knowing full well the glow sticks would begin to gradually fade out. About 30 minutes later, the last remaining hints of neon green light faded out leaving him cloaked in darkness once again.

In the darkness, Graham suddenly felt the car suddenly veer off to the left leading him to brace himself. He grimaced knowing that a sudden jerk to any part of his body would possibly cause more damage than it already had sustained. As he tried to shut out the pain the best he could, he started hearing what sounded like a large group of people at a cocktail party. As strange as it was for him to think it, it sounded like a cocktail party.

The echoing sounds coming from that cocktail party would soon fade away leaving Graham within the darkened silence of the trunk. He thought to himself he needed to find a way to keep his mind busy and not let himself slip into insanity. He remembered his training back when he was at "The Farm" where the simple act of punching your leg would be cause for distraction in case of being incarcerated in an enclosed area like a trunk for instance.

He would do just that as he began punching the upper thigh of his right leg. It started off at slow pace as each hit was soft, but the pace quickened to the point where the soft hits grew increasingly harder and louder. Graham felt even more pain as he continues to distract himself from the current situation he's currently in. It's at that point, the sound of the asphalt would be replaced by something distinctively coarse and rough like dirt or gravel.

The ride turned into somewhat of rollercoaster of sorts for Graham causing him great discomfort as the tremors combined with the up and down motion from the unevenness of the road made it increasingly uncomfortable on certain parts of his body like his lower back. It was so tortuous that his lower back started burning to the point where it felt like he's being jabbed with a hot poker.

Graham's thoughts immediately turned to the number of agents under his command who have endured much worse than him and he would read in detail what they personally went through when it came to being tortured. He truly respected what they went through and even though he couldn't show compassion he would empathize with them in his own way because he dealt with the same mental and physical scars from his past.

The man who considered himself to be fierce and an intimidating figure to someone like Chuck found himself succumbing to the fierce, intimidating figure of darkness. Fear began to creep up on him whereby sending a shiver down his spine that he never experienced before. The combination of his burning lower back, the pain he's feeling all over his body, and the fact he's in complete darkness became abundantly clear to him he's breaking down.

He continues punching his right leg until something caused him to momentarily stop. In the darkness, he feels some type of moisture running down the right side of his cheek. He thought to himself that his wound caused by the accident opened up again and when he placed his hand on what he thought was the source it wasn't bleeding. The moisture he felt wasn't blood at all leading him to move his hand towards his eyes.

It wasn't blood that he felt but rather tears…his tears. They was a sense of unfamiliarity to him as he rubbed them between his fingers. He thought to himself it wasn't in his nature to cry being the Director of the C.I.A. where revealing an emotion such as sadness deemed you not only compromised among your subordinates, but also your peers as well who were trained to suppress their emotions like his colleague General Beckman.

That particular moment gave Graham a brief distraction to his current predicament and he shook it off in order to continue punching his right leg. As he lifted his right hand, he felt the car suddenly slow down and then come to a complete stop. He lay there within the darkness with his ears trained on any sound that he could get a fix on that would possibly tell where he may be.

Instead, what he hears is the engine turn off as the car itself would motion up and down on either side. Graham then hears a succession of car doors simultaneously close and along with that a series of footsteps walking towards the back of the trunk. As much as he's injured and in a considerably weakened state, he thinks to himself he wasn't going down without a fight.

He hears what seems to muffled conversation just outside the trunk and he takes that time to reach over where he saw the rusted out silver hub cap and dragged it over to him placing it on his chest. He grips it with his right hand and waits in the darkness for the trunk to open. He could feel his heart pumping in his chest and his breathing became more shallow as the situation grew intense each second that passed.

The sound of the key being placed in the lock of the trunk caused him to tense up and grip the hub cap even tighter. The moment was at hand causing him to briefly shut his eyes. When he hears the trunk open, he musters all the remaining strength he had to lift himself up just enough to get a clear shot at whoever was nearest to him as he extended his right arm to give a forceful blow.

Unfortunately, a left hand quickly caught his right wrist leading the figure attached to that hand to slowly step in front of him. Graham slumped back to the trunk floor as he look up at his blonde haired abductor who was exuding a sly smirk as he turned to his associates shaking his head. Graham is certainly at a disadvantage physically as he let go of the rusted sliver hub cap inevitably hearing it fall the ground.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend Graham?" said Archer with a sinister smile on his face.

Graham didn't say a word as the anger in his eyes spoke loudly. Archer releases the grip on his wrist pushing his arm across his body as it falls flat across his chest.

"Gentlemen…" Archer pauses to relish the moment. As he heads out to his left Graham hears him give an order to his two associates. "…take our guest inside."

XXX

Retrieve C.I.A Director Graham by any means necessary. Those were the orders that General Beckman gave to Team Chuck and as much as they reveled in the fact she specifically chose them to get him back preferably alive mind you they took the matter seriously. Their orders clearly received, the team stood huddled around the conference table to figure out their next course of action.

"What now?" Chuck asked with his arms crossed looking around at his teammates.

Chuck never really considered himself the be all you can be gung ho type of guy who headed straight into a mission without first knowing the possible dangers he could be facing. However, this mission they were about to embark on was considerably different than any from the past because it was personal in more ways than one as involved a man that took Sarah under his wing and guided her for most of her career.

He looked at Sarah's face when she thought it was her father that was abducted and saw the absolute grief in her eyes as there was without a doubt a mixture of emotions welling up within them. She was relieved after hearing the news that the high level priority wasn't her father, but that relief would quickly go away when she heard the name of the actually person deemed high priority.

He reassured Sarah they will get him back and he knew when she looked into his eyes that what was considered important to her was important to him. It wasn't in just Chuck's eyes she saw the reassurance in as she also saw it in both Travis and Casey's eyes as well. All three knew they were there for her as backup because they've witnessed firsthand what an infuriated Agent Sarah Walker can do.

"We pack up the necessary equipment and find the bastards who took him." responded Sarah with a hint of anger in her voice.

As Chuck nodded in agreement, Casey would give his response.

"Straight and to the point." grunted Casey. All three look at Casey as a smirk appeared on his face. "I like it Walker."

Sarah responded with a look of seriousness as she nodded over to her partner.

"What is our estimated time of departure?" inquired Travis as he looked at his watch.

Sarah immediately chimed in. "We leave at 2300 hours which is about 2 hours and 30 minutes from now." answered Sarah looking down at her watch. "I suggest we meet back here and then head to the hanger."

All three men simultaneously nodded in agreement with what Sarah said. From their point of view, they see in front of them a woman who means serious business and nothing would stop her from completing the task at hand.

The brief meeting between the foursome ended with Travis heading up the stairs and Casey heading towards the weapons cache room. Chuck stood by Sarah who was leaning over the conference table with her head down tapping the top of it with her right fist.

"Hey…" said Chuck softly as she lifted Sarah's chin to look into her eyes. "…we'll find him."

Chuck gives her the most reassuring smile he could give to her and as much as Sarah didn't want to smile at that particular moment she couldn't help but be touched by the concern he has for her. She feels the corner of her mouth began to curl and inevitably she found herself smiling from ear to ear.

"What is this power you have over me Mr. Bartowski that makes me love you even more than I already am?" Sarah wistfully said as she wrapped her arms around Chuck's neck.

"I don't know, maybe it's the Bartowski charm." retorted Chuck shrugging his shoulders.

"The Bartowski charm?" Sarah softly said.

"Yes ma'am." responded Chuck smiling down at her. "It's a curse as my father had and now I have it."

Sarah pulls herself up pressing her lips against his. The moment between the two would suddenly be interrupted by the sound of a distinct grunt of annoyance by the burly NSA Agent behind them.

"I better get going and inform my employees that I'll be taking a few days off for a business trip."

"I'll see you back her at 2300 hundred hours then."

"Right…11pm." nodded Chuck.

"I'm going to the house to pack extra clothes." Chuck paused for a minute as both his eyebrows perk up. "Do you want me to…uh…go ahead and pack your clothes too because I would be more than happy to do it." he added.

"Whipped." muttered Casey under his breathe that Chuck could clearly hear.

Chuck responded by expressing a stink face over in his direction. In response, Sarah ignores the comment made by her partner and places her left finger on the left side of his chin directing his focus back on her.

"I always keep a packed bag with all the essentials I need in Castle." responded Sarah with a smile on her face. "Thank you though." she added.

Chuck lifts her up in a warm embrace for one last kiss. After a few moments Casey gives another grunt that is interpreted as bit more agitated leading him to set her down. He gives a quick kiss and then turns to walk up the stairs.

"Who are going to leave in charge during your absence?" inquired Sarah.

"I have somebody in mind."answered Chuck quickly back glancing at Sarah as he walked up the metal stairs.

"Make sure you have someone in charge of Morgan." hollered Sarah.

"Don't I always." Chuck hollered back as he disappeared out of sight.

XXX

"Okay…" said Chuck as he clapped both his hands looking at all his employees. "…in my absence I'm putting Morgan in charge."

A hush blanketed the room as Chuck scanned the faces of his employees who clearly exuded questionable looks on their faces. His focus on them would be broken upon hearing Morgan's voice.

"I won't let you down Captain." stated Morgan giving a quick salute to his best friend.

The bearded little man felt on top of the world as he proudly stuck his chest out for being handed the reigns of leadership to him even if it was temporary. For the rest of the employees they didn't share his enthusiasm leading one employee to raise his hand.

"Trip…" Chuck nodded over in his direction. "…you have a question."

Trip Barclay stood 5'7, late 20's black wire rim glasses, short spiky brown hair, dark eyes, slim build, wore a red company shirt with the business name on the left hand side in small letters, brown khaki pants, and dark brown dress shoes. He worked in research and development in the area of game testing along side Morgan. When it came to his work ethic as an employee Trip thought it was exceptional but his leadership skills left little to be desired.

"Yeah." Trip retorted with a bit of hesitance. Chuck…uh…are you sure about putting him in charge?

Chuck was about to respond when Morgan intervened. "Oh ye of little faith for the fearless leader's second in command." he said shaking his head in disappointment.

"No offense Morgan…" Trip looks around the room at his fellow employees. "…but the last time Chuck put you in charge when he went on a business trip we nearly got sued."

"Hey, I was trying to promote the business and it was a good idea too until kangaroo decided to attack me." the bearded little man responded.

"The kangaroo attacked you because you made a sudden pretend boxing move and he went off scaring a lot of kids in the process." Trip emphatically stated.

"Hey, Chuck was able to smooth things over with the parents so it's all good." Morgan stated.

Trip and the rest of Chuck's employees shake their heads as they began to voice their displeasure. Chuck sensed the situation growing in intensity and quickly interjected himself as the discussion turned heated.

"Hold on." Chuck hollered getting the attention of everybody in the room. "Look, can someone repeat to me #1 of the prime directive."

Morgan was about to raise his hand when another Whiz Kid employee raised hers up immediately getting Chuck's attention.

"Kes, my hard working intern fire away." said Chuck with a smile on his face.

Kesandra Torres stood 5'4, 19 years of age, shoulder length auburn hair, blue eyes, medium build, and wore a similar type company uniform as Trip. What she lacked in size she made up for in overall spunkiness as she had that go get'em attitude Chuck admired about her. A sophomore at USC majoring in Advertising/Public Relations with a Graphic Design Minor.

"The #1 prime directive we adhere to working in Whiz Kid Systems, Inc. is that we all work together as one in creating a stable and friendly working environment that helps further advance the productivity within all of us." she firmly stated.

"Exactly!" responded Morgan pointing at Kes. "We have to think as one…see as one…but most importantly be as one whole entity people."

"Morgan, you just described The Borg." retorted Chuck glancing at his furry best friend and then turns his attention to the rest of his empkoyees. "Listen, in a way we're a collective of sorts…a collective of hard working individuals that I chose as my employees and I trust each of you guys will work together to keep this place running while I'm away." Chuck pauses for a second as he scans the entire room. "So, can I count on you guys to do that?"

"You bet." answered Trip giving a quick nod his way.

"All right." Chuck gave each of his employees an approving smile. "Let's close up shop for tonight and you guys be back here bright and early Tuesday morning." "I'll see you guys when I get back." he brown haired man added.

"I can't guarantee bright and early, but I'll be here." said Morgan walking back to his office.

Chuck stood there as he watched Morgan and the rest of his employees head to the back in order to clock out leaving him standing next to his secretary Beverly Kim.

Beverly was in her mid 30's, around 5,7, slim build, short brunette hair covering her ears, brown eyes, and of Asian descent. She wore a navy blue top with a black knee length skirt and black high heel shoes. Around her neck she wear a silver necklace with the initials BK. She's a very attractive woman to the say the least and yet it would be Beverly who would lay the ground rules to all the male employees in the office declaring she wasn't into any office romance. She was there to work plain and simple.

When he heard that Chuck thought to himself he, along with Sarah and Ellie, made the right choice in picking her as his secretary. Chuck saw her as the stern motherly type and at the same time exuded that down to earth quality you want in someone who greets potential clients with a smile when they first walk in the door. Plus, there's also the fact that she just so happened to be General Beckman's former secretary so she was a bit of a ball buster and didn't take any crap from anyone.

"You do know you're really in charge when I'm gone right?" said Chuck glancing at Beverly.

"Of course…" she remarked focusing her attention on Morgan walking down the hallway. "…and I'll make sure an incident like that won't happen again." Beverly glances up at Chuck. "I don't know how that furry little bastard was able to pull it off without me knowing." she added with a hint of anger.

"Try not to kill him." retorted Chuck chuckling under his breathe. Chuck grabs his coat and before heading out the door he turned to his secretary. "Good night Bev."

"Good night Mr. Bartowski."

Chuck headed towards his car, which was parked in a sweet spot near the front of the entrance. Instead of the Nerd Herder as his mode of transportation it was a black 2 door 2009 Honda Insight. As he opened the car door, he took out his IPhone and dialed a number. After standing there for a few seconds resting his arms on top the car door waiting the other end of the line picks up.

"Hey sis, do have a minute?" asked Chuck as he got into his car.

XXX

Casa Bartwoski now Casa Woodcomb still looked the same to Chuck when he moved out 6 months ago. He remembered the discussion they had as Ellie and Awesome along with Sarah helped pack his stuff up for the move. Ellie wanted his room turned into a nursery if or when they have a baby and Awesome wanted to turn it into a gym. Awesome won out but Ellie would get the last laugh telling him if or when they have a baby the gym would become the nursery to which he awesomely agreed to.

Chuck and Awesome sat across from each other both sitting on stools in front of the island. Ellie was in the kitchen standing behind the island watching her husband and little brother talk. As she stood there, she couldn't help but smile at the thought of how Chuck had come along way in the past 7 years. Stanford, Bryce and Jill, and their father returning only to leave them again. It seemed to her as if it was all a bad dream that not only she was waking up from, but Chuck too.

Ellie was proud of her little brother for finally quitting Buy More and starting his own business. Yet, she was equally as proud if not prouder for Chuck meeting the woman she knew from the moment she met her would change his life for the better. She considered Sarah far better match for Chuck and despite having a child with Jill she knew it wouldn't come between the love they have for each other.

When he told her he was throwing a birthday party for Sarah she immediately knew why he came over to see her. In the past 2 years, Ellie considered Sarah not just his girlfriend, but a sister to her even though they weren't technically related. What he planned to give her was something that meant a lot to her and to Chuck as well.

"Do you think she'll like it El?" inquired the youngest Bartowski sibling.

"A special woman like Sarah deserves a special gift on her birthday." said Ellie smiling at her little brother.

"Yeah bro." Awesome said reaching over to slap Chuck on his right shoulder. "Sarah is not only going to think its awesome, but you'll probably get lucky afterwards."

Ellie quickly shot a glaring look at her husband whose smile fell flat as he turned to look at her. The way Ellie was looking at Awesome made him uncomfortable causing Chuck to bail out his brother-in-law.

"I'm already a lucky Devon." responded Chuck reaching over to pat Awesome on the left shoulder. "I'm in love with the woman of my dreams as you are a lucky man for marrying the woman of your dreams…my sister." he added turning to Ellie giving his brotherly smile towards her.

Chuck glances at Devon signaling him to follow his lead to which he immediately does. "Your brother is right babe." Awesome retorted flashing his smile towards her reaching over and holding her right hand. "I am a lucky man indeed."

Ellie stands there looking at her husband and her little brother smiling at her knowing full well Chuck was trying to get him out of hot water. She couldn't help but be touched by that fact and it caused her to smile. Chuck, sensing the crisis was averted, thought it's it time to leave.

"That's my cue to leave." said Chuck. He makes his way around the island in order to hug his sister. "Thanks for backing me up on Sarah's birthday sis."

"What are big sisters for." Sarah responded smiling at him as he rustled his hair.

"Chuckles, you and Sarah have an awesome business trip." said Awesome as he reached out for a fist tap. We'll see you two when you get back for her birthday."

Chuck reciprocates the fist tap giving Devon a nod. After waving goodbye at his sister Ellie, he takes his leave heading out towards Casa Bartowski.

XXX

Director Graham found himself in between same two men being dragged down a long semi-dark corridor with a couple of overheads lights flickering on and off. His body is still feeling the effects of not only the crash, but also the car ride in the trunk. The two men carrying him seemingly weren't concerned about his well being as they did their best not to intentionally be gentle with him by the way they were holding him jerking him around by his belt buckle.

The smell emanating from the area is musty as if the area hadn't been used in quite some time and yet it's considered a place of familiarity for him. The sound of footsteps hitting the linoleum floor hauntingly echoed within the corridor as Archer's two associates continued their manhandling of Graham. He glances back and forth at the two men before his attention was focused on a brightly lit room at the end of the corridor. After a few seconds they stepped into it leading the two men to immediately drop Graham in the center of the room.

Graham grimaces in pain as he lay there on his stomach feeling the cold linoleum floor on both his hands and the left side of his face. He thinks to himself it's apropeau in away to feel the coldness of both the floor and the way his abductors went about capturing him. A hint of a smirk appears on his face upon realizing that he took great and well calculated lengths to get him here knowing that he now has him at a great disadvantage. The thought of that caused him to give a small hint of laughter under breathe as he closes his eyes.

As Graham lay there with his eyes closed, he heard footsteps approaching and then stop. When he opens his eyes, he sees two black dress shoes leading him to lift and turn his head up in order to see his abductor. He could see the smug look all over his face as he hovered above him like a vulture about to pick his prey apart piece by piece. He knew one thing for about the man who abducted him as he slowly turned over on his back to get a better look at him. He had a grudge and it was perfectly clear in his mind what was in store for him looking up into his eyes…payback's a bitch.

XXX

**Note:** _After watching the season finale it got me pumped up to finish chapter 3. Please comment and tell me what you think._


	4. The Game Plan

It was 9:30 p.m. when Chuck walks into Casa Bartowski. As he drops his keys in the bowl on the shelf next to the door, a small Golden Labrador Retriever scampers out from the hallway and heads straight for him. Chuck's eyes perk up and a big smile appears on his face as he sees his canine companion's little tail wagging back and forth in absolute excitement.

"Peaches, how's my girl doing?" said Chuck bending down to playfully scratch the back of her ears.

Peaches became the 3rd dog Chuck would own as the 3 year old rambunctious dog would be given the same name as her 2 predecessors before her. She was given as a surprise birthday present for Chuck 2 months ago from Sarah after she found him one day sitting on the black leather couch in the living room looking at old pictures reminiscing about the fun times he and Ellie had when they were younger.

Chuck didn't have to worry when it came to the aspect of not only training his new pooch when it came to teaching certain commands, but also training her to signal either he or Sarah to use the bathroom outside as well. It would be Sarah who would take care of it being that there were certain advantages working for the C.I.A leaving Chuck with the thought he was truly a lucky man to have her in his life.

"She knew you were coming." said a female voice as Chuck rubbed the puppy's belly.

Chuck looks up to see Cassidy dressed down in sweat pants, white socks, a Colorado State shirt, no make up, and her hair in a ponytail. Chuck thought to himself as she leaning with her arms crossed against the left side of the wall at the opening of the hallway that if any guy saw or even knew the real down to earth side of Cassidy instead of serious businesswoman side of her he would be in awe of her.

"Hey Cass." Chuck glances at Peaches who is on her back with her tongue out and tail wagging happily away. "Yeah, dogs somehow know when their owners are coming home." He gives a quick playful rub to the pup's belly and then stands up looking at Cassidy. "I forgot to ask when is your business meeting scheduled?" he inquires.

"Wednesday and Thursday." responded Cassidy. The corner of Cassidy's mouth curled a bit to show a hint of smile. "I basically have tomorrow off to spend with you and Sarah." added Cassidy walking into the living room plopping herself on the black leather couch.

"That would be great if it not for one slight problem." responded Chuck sitting down on the corner of the coffee table.

Cassidy raised her eyebrow and when she did Chuck couldn't help but notice that it eerily similar in the way Sarah raised hers when she was either curious or concerned about something. It was uncanny and yet he wasn't surprised that sisters would share certain traits like that.

"What problem?"

"Mission related and it's considered high priority." retorted Chuck.

Cassidy's eyes perked up as she intently listened on what Chuck was about to say. Over the past 6 month, she would hear the stories of the missions that Team Chuck would be on either face to face, by phone, or by her father telling her. As much of a thrill it was to be working in the cutthroat world of business, she lived vicariously through her sister being able to kick butt and takes names in the cutthroat business of the spy world.

"Whose the guy that's considered high priority?"

"Sarah's boss, C.I.A. Director Langston Graham." he answered getting up making his way to the hallway and heading towards his bedroom."

Chuck heads down the hallway to his bedroom with Peaches in tow. Cassidy's eyes widen and it wouldn't be long before she would be following suit as well. When she reaches their bedroom she finds the door closed leading her to hear the sounds of a closet and drawers opening behind it.

"What happened?" asked Cassidy as she stood in front of the door with curiosity.

Cassidy waited for his response as she hears shuffling going on inside and after a few minutes the door opens with Chuck changed from his work clothes into street clothes wearing jeans, a long sleeve brown shirt, and his Chuck Taylor's still on his feet. He holds a black duffle bag in his right hand as he backs up placing it on the king size bed where Peaches is sitting patiently wondering where her master is going. He is in the midst of taking out clothes from his dresser to put into the black duffle when he responds to her.

"Graham was apparently captured by former agent Kirk Archer who was in an elite military covert ops team codenamed Wolverine." said Chuck. He stops for a minute standing a few feet away from Cassidy with clothes in hand continuing to inform her about who captured Graham. "He was dishonorably discharged for punching Graham in the face and the details of why he was punched in the face were left out of the report." he added.

A smirk appears on Cassidy's face causing Chuck to wonder what's up when he suddenly realizes he's holding several pair of boxer shorts in his hands one of which read chicks dig nerds. Chuck briefly finds himself in an awkward situation and after a few seconds of standing there in silence he slowly backs up with a sheepish smiles on his face towards his bed to quickly put them in the duffle gab.

"So…" chuckled Cassidy. "…I take it I'm going to be alone and have the house to myself then." she said leaning against the doorway.

The tone in which Cassidy said that caused Chuck to turn his head and look at the elder Wexler sister. He knew that she didn't have much of a social life and she put all her efforts into her professional life working along side her father. The opportunities she had to spend time with not only he and Sarah, but the rest of the crew including Morgan were truly enjoyable.

In Chuck's mind, she's truly in her comfort zone when it came to the business world, but when it came to the social world in which she can just let her hair down and just be Cass was not just difficult for her at times, but also awkward. She didn't have many friends and when it came to her dating life…well…she treated a guy as if he was a client rather than a potential boyfriend.

Chuck thought to himself if the guys only knew the real Cassidy Wexler. A beautiful, down to earth woman, who was completely dorky in her own way especially when she was around her little sister DeAnna. They were more than siblings as they were partners in crime who shared a strong bond after reconnecting for the past 6 months.

"You won't be alone." retorted Chuck. "You have that little tribble over there to keep you company." he stated pointing to Peaches who was busy trying to bite her own tail.

"It won't be the same." whined Cassidy with her arms crossed and lips pursed in a pouting manner. "No offense to the loveable fur ball over there, I was just looking forward to spending time with you and my baby sister." she added.

"I know Cass."

Chuck glances back at Cassidy for a brief moment as he packs the last of his clothes in his duffle bag. He zips it closed, gives a quick scratch behind the ears to Peaches sitting on the king size bed, and then turns to walk towards a visibly disappointed Cassidy grabbing the duffle bag behind him all in one fell swoop.

He looks at Cassidy standing at the doorway as he walks towards her and when he reaches her he stops for a moment standing to her left. Chuck turns to see her head resting on his doorway. He then does the only thing he can do to make her feel better and is give his all-too-familiar Chuckish smile as he places his left hand on her left shoulder giving it a small rub.

Cassidy responds with a half hearted smile as Chuck slings his black duffle bag over his right shoulder. He disappears into the hallway towards the front door leaving Cass standing there at the doorway for a brief moment. She composes herself and then takes in a quick deep breathe as Peaches whizzes past her intent on following her master.

The walk down the semi lit hallway seemed like a long trek as she is lost in thought. She truly had fun whenever she spent time with her baby sister and future brother-in-law, especially when it involved hearing about the spy world. To Cassidy, the word fun was considered foreign to her because she spent most of her adult life being the responsible one in the family helping her father run Wexler Industries.

Cassidy Wexler, Chief Operating Officer of Wexler Industries and one of the toughest women anyone will ever meet is a force to be reckoned with in the business world. She shakes her head knowing that she is in fact a work-a-holic who didn't allow herself to have any kind of fun because in her own mind if she did her father's business would possibly suffer.

The oldest Wexler daughter deprived herself of extra curricular activities and buried herself into her work focusing all her time, as well as energy into her father's company. She not only deprived herself of having fun but also having a love life as she considered it an absolute distraction in the world of business. She suppressed those feelings and emotions she had for love but whenever she spent time with Chuck and Sarah seeing the way they are with each other those feeling and emotions slowly began to resurface.

The thoughts of work and love were suddenly interrupted as the sound of key's jingling caused her to stop just in the nick of time as she would have nearly ran into Chuck at the front door. Cassidy backs up several feet and as he turns around with keys in his right hand she sees that he has something on his mind that he wants to say to her.

"What?"

"How would you like to take part in a very important mission?" asked Chucked shaking his keys at her in his right hand.

The question immediately brings a new found energy to Cassidy as her eyebrows perk up in order to find out what mission she was about to take part in. A smile appears on her face as a plethora of thoughts run through her mind of what she could be asked to do causes her to be so overwhelmed with excitement she immediately responded.

"Do I get a gun!" Cassidy quickly blurted out.

The question throws Chuck off a bit so much so that it took a brief moment for Cassidy's request to register. It wasn't long before Chuck laughed and then shook his head in amusement at what she said only to find the look on Cassidy's face wasn't one of amusement but rather a look of absolute bewilderment.

"Sorry…" responded Chuck. "….what you said just caught me completely off guard." Chuck knew laughing wasn't the best response to give at that particular moment seeing how bummed Cassidy was for not being able to spend time with him and her baby sister. He needed to smooth things over quickly or he would quite possibly be re-introduced to the Cassidy Wexler that he first met at Weinerlicious. "I think you and I are thinking of two totally different things." said Chuck. "The very important mission I'm speaking of relates to your sister." he added.

"If it concerns my sister then I'm in no question asked." answered Cassidy with absolute conviction. "What do you need me to do?"

"Its your sister's birthday this Friday right?

"Yeah."

"Since your sister has been a spy, she hasn't really celebrated birthdays much." A look of concern appears on Cassidy's face. "So, what I need you to do is coordinate with Ellie too help plan her birthday party and the venue will be right here."

"You go it." said Cassidy expressing a smile on her face.

"I told her that since you aren't doing anything tomorrow and she has the day off from the hospital you two should get together to plan a birthday bash she will never forget." said Chuck with a smile on his face. " So give her a call tomorrow and see what you two ladies can cook up."

"Will do Chuckles and trust me when I say my little sister will have a memorable birthday." Cassidy emphatically stated.

Chuck opens the front door behind him and upon doing so he gives the one response that best fit the moment. "Awesome." he responded as he leans in to give her a hug before heading out.

"Bring the birthday girl home safely." Cassidy said softly. "I have my mission and you have yours.

"Yes ma'am I will…" The tone in Chuck's voice gave Cassidy the assurance that she, along with her friends and family, would not only see her but celebrating her baby sister DeAnna's birthday. "…don't you worry about a thing."

The hug soon ended leading Chuck to look Cassidy straight into her eyes giving her a quick nod to her who nodded back as well. He then bent down to rub the top of Peach's head, did a last minute mental checklist feeling his pants pockets to see whether he forget anything, slung his duffle bag over his right shoulder, and then gave one last wave to the two before he headed out into the night.

Cassidy hangs her heads rubbing the back of the her neck with her left hand while she placed her right hand firmly on the door. She stood there for moment with her thoughts as she hoped and prayed they all make it back alive safe and sound when they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of whimpering behind her causing to turn to see Peaches laying down with her head resting on her front paws.

"What do you say fur ball…" said Cassidy as she knelt down to scratch behind her eyes to comfort her. "…pizza or Chinese food?"

Peaches responded by quickly sitting up giving a couple sporadic barks, nuzzles her neck, and then licks her face. As she hugged Peaches, Cassidy thought to herself they were both going though similar situations at the moment possibly feeling the same thing and that it was good have the company of a loved one even though they both couldn't really understand each other.

Cassidy stood up and with a comforted smile on her face looks down at Peaches. "Pizza it is." states Cassidy as she heads towards the kitchen with Peaches sitting there momentarily giving a couple sporadic barks at the front door and then turns to follow her.

XXX

"I would salute you, but I can see that you're not up to it at the moment…" said Archer as he hovers over the battered and bruised C.I.A Director with a sinister smirk slowly appears on his face. "…Sir." he added.

Graham had difficulty looking up at Archer as the bright fluorescent lights hit him in the eyes causing him to squint. He shields them using his left hand as he tries to get a clear visual on the man who is responsible for his abduction. As he's doing so, he glances around his surrounding to take in a quick account of how many people were in the room.

It took only a few seconds in his beleaguered state for Graham to mentally account for a total of 9 people with 7 males including Archer and 1 female in the room. He always on point even when he was at an absolute disadvantage which for any government agent with years of experience under his belt such as Graham came natural to him

"If you're looking for an apology Archer I'm sorry to disappoint you." responded Graham.

"Apology?" Graham noticed the smirk grow even larger on Archer's face as he briefly chuckled under his breathe. He sees him stand and then began walking around him like a ferocious Lion circling his wounded prey before attacking it. "I'm not looking for an apology."

Archer nodded at the same two henchmen that brought him in and dropped him to the cold, hard floor. They walk over, pick him up, and drag him to a nearby couch throwing him on to it. The couch itself hadn't been sat on for quite some time as it was apparent from the dust cloud that forms when Graham fell on to it face forward.

Graham immediately winced as he felt the throbbing pain emanating from his left knee hitting the front end of the couch but he didn't make a sound in order to not top tip off how seriously hurt he was to his former subordinate. He pushed himself with as much strength he had left up on to the couch and then slowly turned himself around facing Archer.

"You want a hug don't you?" retorted Graham as he let out a small laugh. "Sorry, I don't do hugs." he added.

"A sense of humor I see." The former Wolverine team leader is somewhat impressed at the attempt at trying to be remotely funny knowing full well Langston Graham didn't have a funny bone in his body seeing that he was a complete hardass. He wasn't the type of guy who couldn't even make a hyena laugh and yet he found himself amused. "I would say it suits you, but then again I would be lying," said Archer.

Graham drew a hint of a smile on his face in agreement to his statement. He then looks around to see the place they were all currently in complete shambles. "I'm disappointed in you. The C.I.A. gives you this place as your base of operations and you don't have the decency to keep it in tip top shape?" said Graham shaking his head in disappointment.

"Save it." quickly responded Archer as he paced back and forth in front of the couch. "Do you know why you're here?" he asked in a calm manner.

The injured C.I.A Director knew from the time Archer appeared at the stop light in D.C. why he was here. He knew he was going to eventually come after to him but how he was going to go about it was an unknown. He had to hand it to him though, it was a well executed plan by a guy who first started out as young wet behind the ears punk.

Kirk Archer lacked direction and focus were the words written down in his file. It would be those two words that Langston Graham immediately took notice of. He kept a vested interest in him all through his training and when opportunities arose he showed up out of nowhere wanting to discuss how he was progressing and nothing else.

He was considered a bit temperamental at times according to his instructors but he made up for it in leadership skills, weapons/tactics training, showing a high threshold of pain both physically, as well as mentally. In addition, he exhibited a fierce intensity that would most definitely be put to good use in the field of covert opts.

It would be Graham himself who would personally hand pick for a military covert ops team he codenamed Wolverine. The missions that Archer and his team were given were deemed highly classified and if they compromised in any way any all knowledge of said mission would be disavowed.

Flash forward to 2004 and the unfortunate situation in Kabul resulted in the dishonorable discharge of a very good soldier who made the wrong decision in taking out his displeasure on a high ranking officer. The assault charge was dropped to where he served his time and they never saw each other again until now.

"That was 5 years ago."

Archer suddenly stopped pacing and immediately walked over getting right in Graham's face. "Answer the question!" screamed Archer.

"Yes, I know why I'm here."

"Then you know I hold you personally responsible for his death."

Graham knew it's imperative to have Archer unfocused and he has been given the opening to do so because without a focused leader he isn't able to make any rational decisions when giving orders to his team. However, it was considered a catch 22 being that when you get someone like Archer unfocused he becomes not only dangerous, but also highly unpredictable as well.

He knew one thing for sure and that is Archer still harbored deep seeded resentment against him for what happened in Kabul. He would most certainly use it to his own advantage to keep him off his A game and in order to do so he had to use a tactic that if done properly wouldn't get himself shot in the head. The tactic...antagonizing him.

"Listen, you disobeyed a direct order that I personally gave to you." firmly stated Graham. "As I see it, you are personally responsible for his death."

"SHUT UP!" demanded Archer.

Graham could see the tactic is clearly working as Archer's eyes were bulging out of his sockets and his behavior became increasingly erratic. He knew the man that stands a few inches away from his face is nearing his breaking point and it's just a matter of time before he blew his top.

XXX

Sarah is sitting at the conference table in Castle looking over the photos of the abduction in D.C. She must have looked over those photos at least 10 times trying to find any clue that might have been missed. The focus she had would be interrupted when Travis sits down across from her after ending a phone conversation with his wife.

"How are Shannon and your newborn son doing?" asked Sarah.

The smile on Travis' face is all but enough of an answer as she sees before her a proud new papa of an 8 lbs 6 oz. bouncing healthy baby boy. He was born Sept. 1, 2009 and they named him Wesley. When it came choosing a suitable middle name both mom and dad agreed, with approval from Chuck, to use his father's first name Abraham.

"They're both doing great." said Travis. "I hired a nanny to help out whenever I'm away and she's been absolutely wonderful." he added.

"Awesome." responded Sarah as a smile appeared on her face.

It was apparent she's spending too much time around Devon but she didn't care. She's finally feeling comfortable in her own skin and didn't have to run from who she really is. DeAnna Wexler for so long was trying to find an identity and when it came to being Sarah Walker she was able to find herself again.

As Sarah Walker she played many roles over the years as a spy in order to deceive for the greater which came easy to her. Yet, when it came to her assignment as Chuck's "fake girlfriend" it was a role that became quite difficult for her to play as it went from playing as if she was in love with him to actually being in love with him.

For her, Chuck helped her to no longer look back at the past with regret because her old life of pain and suffering led her to eventually find a new life of joy and happiness. Sarah was becoming lost in thought thinking of family, friends, and of course Chuck when Travis spoke up.

"Sarah, can I ask you a question?" asked Travis.

"Go ahead." answered Sarah with a bit curiosity as she leaned forward resting her arms on the conference table.

Travis sat there for a brief moment mulling over in his mind the exact words he wanted to ask. He had some knowledge concerning the relationship between her and Graham but not all of it. Essentially, he didn't want to overstep any boundaries and have the question be misconstrued in any way.

"Chuck mentioned a while back that you considered your boss not just a father figure but a mentor as well is that right?" Travis asked with a bit of hesitancy.

"He's right." Sarah responded. "He taught me a lot of what he knew and even though he's a hardass I deeply respected him." A look of seriousness appears on her face as she continued to share with Travis on the man who guided her career as spy. "We constantly butted heads in the beginning as it became such a challenger for him to get a handle on me."

"Why a challenge?"

"If you asked Graham, he would say that I was stubborn and hard headed." Sarah chuckled a bit at what she said as she leaned back in her chair. "Looking back, the reason I was so stubborn and hard headed was because he was so like my father in ways that it effected my focus." she added.

"What changed that had you two no longer battling each other like two Klingon warriors battling each other for superiority?"

Sarah is absolutely amused by that particular Star Trek reference because the professional relationship between her and Graham in the beginning was for the most part like a battle. A battle of wills that took its toll mentally and physically on not just Sarah, but on Graham as well.

"I think what changed was how he taught me to harness the anger he sensed within me and use it to work for me instead of against me." Sarah retorted. "You know, I give credit to Graham for what he has helped me achieve both personally and professionally because his way of motivating of you can really get under skin to the point where you just want to punch him in the face."

XXX

The situation in the room grew intense by the minute as Graham's plan to antagonize an already flustered and albeit angry Archer would be working to perfection. He gradually became considerably unfocused and hopefully what he's about to say would push him completely over the edge.

"You knowingly served his death sentence and you've lived with that for the past 5 years." stated Graham.

Archer responds with a hard right cross to the side of Graham's mouth causing him to slump over to his right on the dusty couch cushions. The punch stung so much so that when he felt his mouth he saw that there was blood on his hand. He slowly sits back up spitting out the blood on to the linoleum floor inevitably wiping what was left with the sleeve of his dirty dark suit coat all-the-while looking up at a very pissed off individual.

He thinks to himself at that very moment the plan worked and now that he is consumed with rage he's going to make mistakes. The lack of concentration on whatever his initial plan for him would be completely thrown off kilter and deviate into a plan that wasn't well thought out.

"Open your mouth about him again…" Archer drew out his MK. 23 pistol aiming it directly at his forehead and then leaned in with a look of death in his eyes. The other team members just stand there transfixed on what they are witnessing and yet none of them dared to stop him. "…and I shoot you right here and now." he added pulling back the trigger.

XXX

**Note: _Sorry for the delay it has been quite a busy summer and I promise to update these as quickly as I can. With that said, hope you enjoyed the read and leave a comment._**


	5. Second Chances

Graham is locked eye to eye with Archer as he feels the cold barrel end of the gun digging into his forehead. He feels not only the intensity emanating from his eyes burning right through him, but also from through his nose on his right cheek as he's breathing out hard and fast like an enraged bull in the midst of attacking.

It's apparent to him that he's dealing with a man with a serious itchy trigger finger and he would love nothing more than to end his lowly existence. He's most definitely not in the right frame of mind and at that very moment he thinks to himself that he didn't need to give Archer any more incentive to have him pull the trigger.

The government agent with years of experience knew that his chances for physically taking on Archer and his team were slim to none. He would have to continue using his brains to stay alive until he is able to regain his strength. Graham needed to stay one step ahead at all times and to do that he had to mentally outwit them.

"You're not going to pull the trigger." Graham calmly stated.

"Cut the reverse psychology crap…" said Archer. "…its not going to work on me." he added gritting his teeth

He's partially right Graham thought to himself. Archer considered himself a smart soldier priding himself in being able to match wits and outsmart his enemies. However, as young and quite possibly egotistical he is at that particular moment he wouldn't be able to match wits and outsmart him.

The crafty, seasoned veteran formulated a plan to get him to talk and reveal to him what his intentions for him are. It would be a daunting task to say the least because from what he knew about Archer is that he's a man of few words who had the similar mentality of keeping information on a need-to-know basis.

"Tell me something then. You had the perfect opportunity to kill me when you had the chance at my most weakest and yet you didn't…" asked Graham with the MK. 23 still pressed against his forehead. "…why?"

A sly, sinister smile crept on Archer's face and after a brief moment of silence he leans back standing straight up with his right arm extended still aiming his weapon directly at Graham's forehead. He no longer felt the pressure of having the cold barrel end of the gun pressed up against it as quite possibly made a deep, painful impression.

He most certainly would not give Archer the satisfaction of seeing him acknowledging the pain he and his team caused by rubbing his forehead, his left knee, or any body part for that matter that's possibly injured in the crash. Graham would have shown how great of a poker face he has in order to get through this.

"That would have been way too easy." responded Archer.

"So you set up this entire elaborate plan to get me here." said Graham. "I'm touched that you care about me that much, really I am."

"All I care about is seeing you dead." Archer emphatically stated. "I've been waiting 5 years for this and nothing is going to stop me from seeing that happen."

No one ever really thinks about how their going to die especially when you're a spy Graham thought to himself. In the dangerous field of espionage, you can't focus on being killed or the possibility of dying because once you do you not only compromise yourself, but also the mission itself as well.

You do your job the best of your ability and if it goes bad have an exit strategy. Do what you have to, say what you have to, but always remember to keep a level head about yourself. If your lucky enough to survive you thank the man upstairs or whoever you believe in for giving you another chance to do it all over again."

"What makes you think I'm going to die." Graham's eyes dart from side to side quickly glancing at Archer's team." For all you know, each one of you may end up dead at my hands." adds the injured Director of the C.I.A.

The response Graham gave causes Archer to slowly chuckle to which it slowly turns into laughter. He then turns to his team to where they in turn laugh at the prospect of being killed at the hands of someone who's not only clearly outnumbered, but too inured to even try. He turns back looking at Graham shaking his head thinking he has no chance in hell of coming out of this particular situation alive.

"Look at you." Archer backs up several feet lowering his gun to his side eyeing Graham up and down with an amused, smug look on his face. "I know you're injured and you barely had the strength to pull yourself up on that couch so what makes you think you can take all 9 of us out?" he inquires.

The C.I.A. director needed to show Archer and his team that his injuries weren't that serious even though he was feeling pain in every part of his body. He thought to himself as he's sitting back on the dusty couch he has to place doubt in their minds that the injuries he suffered didn't effect him at all.

In that moment, Graham takes in a deep breathe as he mentally tries to block out all the pain that he's feeling all over his body. As he slowly leans forward with his head down, Archer looks on in wonder at what his former boss is attempting to do. He then looks back at his team who are also wondering what he's up to as well.

It was now or never Graham thinks to himself as he pushes himself up. As he does, he suddenly feels excruciating pain around his chest possibly from the seat belt that saved him during the crash. With his head still down he grimaces and in that brief pause a smirk appears on Archer's face.

"Resistance is futile old man." said Archer with amusement. "Looks like you're just all talk." he added turning to his left to look back at his team. "Ain't that right guys?"

Archer's team responded by laughing at the seemingly ridiculous attempt of proving them wrong. The echoes of laughter reverberate within the confines of the brightly lit room they were all in giving Graham that much needed incentive to give it all he has. He took another deep breathe and pushing himself to the point where he's standing straight up looking Archer eye to eye.

"Looks can be deceiving." Graham responded.

"Pretty impressive." said Archer. "Its not going to matter much mind you since you'll be ending up six feet under, but good effort though."

"You want to know what your problem is son…"

"DON'T!" bellows Archer immediately cutting Graham off in mid sentence. "Don't call me son!" he added waving his gun straight at him.

Graham apparently touched a nerve with that particular word and as in much pain as he currently was in standing there he made the decision to continue to antagonize him.

"I hit a nerve." said Graham. "Father issues maybe?"

"Drop it." firmly stated Archer briefly pointing his finger at his former superior several feet in front of him.

An irritated look appears on Archer's face causing his behavior to again become erratic, which Graham keenly notices.

"I know he left you and your mother high and dry when you were 13 years old." he said. "At least that's what it said in your psyche eval."

"I said…" Archer emphatically stated as he grips the gun tighter in his right hand. "…drop it!"

"Okay…" Graham said as he held up both hands. "…okay I'll drop it but tell me on thing Archer" He pauses putting his hands down and then sticks both of them in his pockets. "Did Captain Pike help fill the void being the father figure you so needed growing up?"

At that moment, Archer quickly raises his gun and without any hesitation whatsoever pulls the trigger ringing out a total of 10 shots. The haunting echo of gunfire resonates not only within the room, but all throughout the building. He stands there mouth tightly clinched, eyebrows furled in menacing way, and nostrils flaring with his right arms still extended as smoke looms from his. MK. 23 in his right hand.

XXX

The clock reads 10:10 p.m. as it, along with the rest of the front left/center panel illuminated the driver's side interior of the 2009 Honda Insight. Chuck sat behind the wheel driving on his way back to Castle and as he does the do on the radio begins talking about the song Second Chance by Shinedown.

He heard and sang along a million times before to this song but not once did he ever really let the lyrics sink in until now. Chuck thought to himself how Graham's situation coincided to the song itself and as the song began playing on the radio Chuck listens intently.

_My eyes are open wide,  
__And by the way__I made it Through the day  
__I watched the world outside  
__By the way,  
__I'm leaving out Today_

Graham has seen and done more in the world in a lifetime than he has during his 2 year as a spy Chuck thought to himself. Like Sarah, Casey, and Travis he undoubtedly made it through life threatening situations facing death head on and lived to tell about it. He would also bet just like Casey he hated long goodbyes as well when the odds were possibly against him.

_I just saw Hayley's comet,  
__shoo-ting  
__Said ,"Why you always running in place?  
__Even the man in the moon disappeared  
__Somewhere in the stratosphere_

Haley's comet came in the form of Kirk Archer and whether or not he saw him coming Graham was most definitely blindsided for sure. Chuck knew it took a lot planning to figure out his set routine and from hanging around Sarah, Casey, as well as Travis they tend to never deviate from their routines. It was a quick, well planned ambush and in an instant he vanished into the night.

_Tell my mother,  
__Tell my father,  
__I've done the best I can  
__To make them realize  
__This is my life  
__I hope they understand  
__I'm not angry, I'm just saying...  
__Sometimes goodbye  
__Is a second chance_

Did Graham even have a family, a wife, an ex-wife, a girlfriend, or even kids for that matter Chuck wondered? Who did he socialize with or did he even have a social life being the Director of the C.I.A? The curly haired business owner knew firsthand how the life of a spy is very lonely after delving not only into Sarah's past but Casey's as well.

The man who Chuck thought deemed a very intimidating figure did indeed do the best job he could and whether the decisions he made were right or wrong the safety of the United States was most important. He understood that the spy life was all Graham knew and he permanently signed up for something far greater than him.

As Chuck sat there behind the wheel semi-concentrating on the road ahead of him he couldn't help but think if Graham was angry for getting himself captured. He probably knew that one day Archer would be coming for him and the day he actually does he took him by surprise. Would he be pissed because I know I would be he thought.

_Please don't cry  
__One tear for me  
__I'm not afraid of  
__What I have to say  
__This is my one and  
__Only voice  
__So listen close, it's  
__Only for today_

Tears of sadness or tears of joy? Would there even be tears shed? For a guy who made countless enemies during his career as a spy I don't think his enemies wouldn't even shed a drop. As cold and heartless as that sounded, it was true because there are people out there other than Archer who are more devious then he is.

Archer unfortunately got to him first and he couldn't imagine what plan he has for Graham. He would most certainly savor whatever he had in store for him and he would also fair to guess that he would surely gloat with shouts of joy for everyone to listen who would give their right arm to take care of him personally.

_I just saw Hayley's comet,  
__shoo-ting  
__Said ,"Why you always running in place?  
__Even the man in the moon disappeared  
__Somewhere in the stratosphere  
__Tell my mother,  
__Tell my father,  
__I've done the best I can  
__To make them realize  
__This is my life  
__I hope they understand  
__I'm not angry,  
__I'm just saying...  
__Sometimes goodbye  
__Is a second chance_

Watch out Archer you've got a woman on your hands who will stop at nothing to get back her mentor. Chuck chuckled at the thought of how Sarah was not angry but royally pissed off to the point where she could possibly leave a path of destruction in her wake all by herself much to the chagrin of Casey.

_Heres my chance  
__This is my chance_

A second chance at life. Truer words have never been uttered Chuck thought as he briefly nodded his head. Langston Graham must have more than 9 lives and just like Team Chuck he's been given so many second chances during his time as a spy. The question was would he live to see another second chance happen for him again?

_Tell my mother,  
__Tell my father,  
__I've done the best I can  
__To make them realize  
__This is my life  
__I hope they understand  
__I'm not angry,  
__I'm just saying...  
__Sometimes goodbye  
__Is a second chance_

He wasn't going to let Sarah down because when he looked into her eyes when she heard Graham was abducted there was a intense fury in them. To capture her father would be the biggest mistake of their lives, but to capture her mentor is considered an even bigger mistake.

Sarah wouldn't be the consummate professional in the spy world without the help of Langston Graham. He guided her, molded into a heartless killing machine that when given the order to she would take out her mark without remorse. Chuck understood it was a life he gave her and only one she ever really knew until they met.

_Sometimes goodbye  
__Is a second chance._

Chuck lightly hit the bottom of the steering wheel with the top of his right fist listening to the last two lines of the song. Graham is a fighter and hopefully he knows that the good guys are coming to the rescue to bring him back alive. This won't be a goodbye not if Team Chuck has anything to say about it he thought to himself. Hell is coming your way Archer and we're not going to playing by the rules he thought with a sly smile on his face.

It's in that instant Chuck's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of his stomach grumbling. He chuckled a bit knowing that he was so preoccupied with all that's been going on with Cass coming back into town, planning Sarah's birthday party, and the abduction of Graham he neglected to eat.

"Whoa." Chuck softly said patting his stomach all-the-while trying to spot a place to get some food. What he wouldn't give at that exact moment to have a replicator with voice recognition installed in his car and have something like sizzling shrimp materialize in front of him he thought. "You can't go on a very important mission on an empty stomach now can you." he added as he pulled into the parking lot of Subway.

XXX

Casey sat quietly at the console of Castle's main computer intently looking at the intel concerning one Kirk Archer. As he was looking over his file, he was impressed at Archer's list of credentials such as receiving a medal of honor for his heroism and serving tours of duty in Tikrit and Afghanistan.

Yet, what was left out of the file were the lists of tours Graham sent him and his team on that were deemed confidential one of them being Kabul. Team Chuck was denied permission by Beckman to view pertinent files containing any high level contacts or informants that would lead them to his possible whereabouts.

They would have to get what they needed the old fashioned way and he would thoroughly enjoy every minute pounding the information out of them. As much as he wanted to bypass protocol in order to attain the information needed Casey didn't want to further hamper the mission and deal with Beckman.

General Beckman still held a grudge against not only Team Chuck, but also Sarah's father Jeremiah Wexler. He was amused that for once someone got the better of Beckman and would not be locked up behind bars never to see the light of day making it albeit even more amusing.

He thought back to the first month after Beckman and Graham were forced to keep the team together, they would be sent on fairly boring missions that were considered in his mind punishments for totally embarrassing her in the process. In any case, he would be eternally grateful to Sarah's father for keeping the team together as he would have a whole new respect for her, which he would never utter to her face.

Casey knew firsthand what having a mentor was like and unlike Sarah he dealt with his former mentor, as well as sensei Ty Bennett's betrayal. He experienced anger unlike any other and with the help of Chuck he used all that anger to take him down, which his blonde partner would use to get Graham back.

He continues to read over Archer's file on the computer, when he hears the somewhat loud conversation coming from the conference table behind him where Travis and Sarah sat several feet away. He responds with an over-the-shoulder grunt that they both could clearly hear from where they were sitting.

"Grunt 3." said Sarah. "Annoyed with a hint of mildly irritated."

"I thought that was grunt 6?" responded Travis.

"Nope." Sarah shook her head. "Grunt 6 is furious agitation.

The conversation continued on as the burly NSA agent shook his head and began to wonder if he lost the edge that made him such as intimidating figure of Team Chuck. He thought to himself his mere presence would instill fear towards his enemies, his fellow soldiers in arms back in the day, and pretty much every civilian he came across.

He had to face facts that over the past 2 years Chuck and Sarah were used to him by now. It irked him that he was not only predictable in their eyes, but also becoming a bit soft as well. He smirked when it came to Travis or what he liked to refer to as the other half of dumb and dumber knowing he could at least make him jump.

However, in the past 6 months it was becoming increasingly harder to do so as Chuck and Sarah would give him a lesson on what they liked refer to as Casey 101. He found it annoying that he ended up becoming a teaching tool to where he was being broken down in order Travis get a better understanding of him. The fear was gone.

He had to admit though putting the fear of God into Jeff and Lester on daily basis was truly enjoyable when he worked at Buy More. I should go visit them for old time sake and scare the crap out of them. I miss them Casey thought to himself leading to an immediate look of surprised bewilderment on his face.

_You did not just say that._ He scratches the top of his head trying to make sense of why that particular thought popped into his head. _Get your head in the game soldier and focus on the mission at hand._ He quickly shook the thought of actually missing those two perverted idiots out of his head and continued looking over Archer's file.

XXX

Archer lowered his gun as the last remaining remnants of smoke dissipated. He stood there for a moment gathering himself as his team looked at the scene before them. They never witnessed someone get under the skin of their team leader to the point where he totally snapped.

"That was just warning." emphatically stated Archer.

Ten perfectly placed shots were splattered on his left side inches away for his head on the wall directly behind Graham where the couch was against. Archer witnessed his former boss not flinch as the barrage of bullets whizzed past his ear sending a message to Archer it didn't phase him as if he was saying to him is that all you got. He didn't even bother to look behind him and combined with his nonchalant attitude got under Archer's skin even more.

To Archer he was disrespecting him all-the-while spitting his face but from Graham's point of view he was merely focusing all his energy trying to stay upright. He accomplished fooling everybody in the room into thinking that he was not seriously injured but in fact every part of his body was throbbing in pain.

He needed to keep up the charade as much as possible even though every muscle in his body screamed for him to just fall back on the couch behind him. It took everything in his power not to bite his bottom lip because any type of movement would cause searing pain in certain parts of his body like his left knee for instance. He need to keep talking to distract himself from the pain.

"Still an excellent marksmen I see." responded Graham. "We taught you well."

"You and those bastards taught me nothing" bellowed Archer. "The only thing you taught me was to be a hired lackey and what did I…" Archer looks around at his fellow team members. "…we get out of it." he added.

"What do you want a medal?"

"We want 1 thing…" said Archer pointing his finger in the air. "…the 1 thing that is rightfully owed to us."

"What is rightfully owed to you?"

"Retribution!" exclaimed Archer expressing sheer intensity in his eyes. "We waited for the order to go in to save him only you sat back and did nothing." he added shaking his head in disappointment. "You turned your back on him and in my book that makes you an absolute coward."

"No…" responds Graham as he too shakes his head in disappointment. "…you are the cowards not me."

Graham knew calling Archer and his team cowards is totally out of line. They were far from being cowards as they were all patriots who would gladly give their lives for their country. It was unfortunate it had come to saying what he now couldn't take back because when you call a soldier a coward be prepared for possible retaliation.

"You're pathetic." said Archer. "Sitting behind a desk while people like me do your dirty work." he added. "Admit it, you've not only gone soft behind you're cushy title, but you've also lost that killer instinct old man.

He had to admit Archer was partly right about getting a bit soft Graham thought to himself. He spent the better part of 30 years giving orders halfway around the world in the comfort of an air conditioned office. Graham needed to prove to himself he still had the beast within to take on these young kids today.

"What do you want from me?"

"What do I want?" The blonde haired team leader pauses tilting his head forward and to the left. "Its what he would have wanted and he would have wanted you to suffer the same agonizing torture he went through before he died." he added closing eyes for a brief moment.

"Pike was a patriot, he knew he was expendable just like you…" Graham glances at Archer's team behind him. "…and them."

"We are doing this for him."

"Justice in his name."

"Yes.." Archer calmly said with a sinister smirk on his face. "…and justice will be rightly served."

"Justice for who?" asked Graham. "For Pike…" He pauses. "…or for you?"

Archer quickly raises his MK. 23 and walks over placing the barrel end of the gun on Graham's forehead in one fell swoop. The look in his eyes burn with hatred for him as pure emotion rather than logic took over. In that moment Graham every part of his body tenses up preparing to go down fighting in a blaze of glory.

The silence in the room was palpable as Archer stood there with the gun trembling in his hand when all of sudden he closes his eyes. In that brief moment, he lowers his gun causing a still tense Graham to wonder what was up. It was at that point, Archer opens his eyes giving a smirk that Graham knew that even though he wasn't getting shot he was in for some major pain.

The brash soldier suddenly rears back and with much force he can muster pistol whips his former boss on the side of his right temple with the butt of the MK. 23. Graham falls back on to the dusty couch behind him and before he black out he sees the blurry image of Archer standing over him.

XXX

**Note:** _**Hope you enjoyed reading this particular one as I enjoyed writing it. Please comment and tell me what you think.**_


	6. Origins

Silence blanketed the entire room giving way to an uncomfortable awkwardness felt amongst Archer's team. The 8 soldiers found themselves in stunned disbelief at what they had just witnessed. Each one of them looking to one another with their eyes silently screaming for an explanation as to why their leader lost all semblance of control.

It didn't make any sense whatsoever to them at all. The Archer they all knew him to be is the one who is always in control of a situation that's not only heated, but also chaotic in nature as well. He never let the situation take control over him because Archer always had the situation in control even though it may not have seemed like it.

To each one of them the situation took that control away causing Archer to lose his composure in more ways than one. They all knew he wasn't the type of guy who let his emotions get the better of him because according to him when your emotions take control you can very well get yourself, as well as your team killed in the field of battle.

The 8 former Wolverine team members truly respected him for his seemingly rabid and oftentimes methodical tactics that bordered on obsessive compulsive when it came to different scenarios in taking out specific targets with absolute intensity. Its those tactics that always established results.

In their view, Archer exudes strength and ferocity of a wolverine that would not back down no matter what. The intense focus in their view was mind boggling especially in the early days as he would keep going after a specific target and not let up even if the situation looked overwhelming.

They all could most definitely share war stories of how in the face of utter chaos Kirk Archer took control of a highly heated situation while in the field of battle. Capt. Melina Kahn, the lone female of the team, has not only been part of Archer's team since its conception in 2001 but she was personally chosen by Archer himself to be his second in command.

At first glance, Melina Kahn exudes an alluring, exotic beauty that is seemingly not at all harmless. However, looks can be deceiving as the gorgeous supermodel looks mask a trained albeit deadly stone cold killer who would take a life at a drop of a hat without any remorse whatsoever.

Kahn stands 5'7 with piercing jade colored eyes that pierce through her dark black hair similar to the look of Nia Peeples in the movie Half Past Dead. She didn't care what her teammates thought of her because it wasn't a popularity contest. She did her job and if it ruffled a few feathers doing it amongst the crew then so be it.

The position as Wolverine team leader came down to several qualified agents but after careful consideration on Graham's part the decision came to either her or Archer. In her mind, the decision to fill the position of team leader was a no brainer and she was the perfect candidate for the job. Unfortunately, Graham didn't choose her and that didn't sit well with her.

She actually rejected the offer by Graham to be Archer's second in command the first time because she despised him for taking the position from her. In her own opinion, she rightly deserved it because she considered herself better qualified to be leader of team Wolverine and was absolutely vocal about it.

The animosity she harbored towards Archer would inevitably be squashed as Archer came to her himself and talked with her. The meeting between the two was considerably intense as heated words were exchanged but when it was all said and done she would accept the role given to her the second time around.

Archer convinced her to take the job by explaining to her that he needed someone who would be a straight shooter instead of someone who would tell him what he wanted to hear. Essentially, it primarily came down to is respect for each other and even though he didn't say it outright Kahn knew with 100% surety he saw her as an equal in every way.

As she stands there several feet away from Archer, she takes a quick glance at her fellow soldiers knowing what was expected of her. She briefly takes a breath and after giving another stern considerably intense, glaring, icy look back at the men she begins moving forward in order to check on the well being of their leader.

XXX

Sarah changed from her Orange Orange uniform of orange headband, sneakers, headband, and top, with white Capri pants into something more fitting of the mission at hand. It would be something appropriately darker so that the blood stains of the men responsible for abducting her esteemed mentor, C.I.A. Director Langston Graham, would be less visible.

She found herself standing in the gym area of Castle standing in front of the punching bag lost in thought. The conversation she previously had with Travis sitting at the conference brought up a slew of memories for her. As Sarah lightly tapped the bottom of the bag with her fist she recalls how she felt moments before meeting with Graham as a newly appointed agent of the C.I.A.

Agent Sarah Walker sat outside the office of C.I.A Director Langston Graham. Christine Chapel, Graham's secretary, sat a couple feet away behind her desk typing away at her computer, writing down notes, doing paperwork, and taking calls. In her mid to late 40's, she's been by his side as his secretary for well over 20 years.

The intense look she exuded on her face was briefly replaced by an acknowledging and somewhat comforting smile. She sported a Captain Janeway style blonde hairdo, tiny pearl earrings, dark open toed high heel shoes, white blouse, and a dark pantsuit ensemble that emphasized strict professionalism.

To Sarah, Graham's secretary seemed friendly knowing all-too-well she has seen agents before her sitting where she was possibly scared out of their minds and thinking what have I gotten myself into. Yet, knowing her she didn't care because in the line of work she is in it wouldn't surprise her to have a gun concealed under her desk, have her pull it out, and shoot you without any hesitation.

_"Director Graham will be you momentarily Agent Walker." _said his secretary with polite a smile.

Sarah nodded and responded back with a smile._ "Thank you ma'm." said Sarah._

The attention she had on Graham's secretary would soon quickly be diverted to something else that would catch her attention. After several minutes she could hear the distinct sound of a clock ticking away loudly above her. However, that didn't compare to the feeling of anxious tension loudly beating within her heart that could surely shatter all the windows down the hall.

Reality set in for her as the simulations she went through testing her emotionally, mentally, and physically all came to a head. There weren't going to be any redoes or be any demonstrations on how it should be done correctly because once you make a mistake in the field it could very well cost you your life.

The very thought of the situation she is in now hit her at that very moment. She slowly realized the grades, the skill sets she was able to master in training and the importance of putting to use the knowledge she learned from her instructor were just the first part of the equation. The second half of the equation was actually going out and doing it.

It sunk in that her old life as DeAnna Wexler, daughter of military weapons industrialist Jeremiah Wexler, was in a way dead and now her new life as Agent Sarah Walker is born. A life that even though would be absolutely dangerous, would be a life free of living the way she wanted to even if it was a lie to those individuals who she comes in contact with.

The life she previously led was considered by her standards a dreary existence filled with constant disappointmebt and expectations that she could not live up to. DeAnna Wexler will and always be the black sheep of the family who's never going to live up to the potential her father expected her to have she thought to herself.

It inevitably would be a life buried in the past and now she has the opportunity to build a new life for herself even though the life she's building involves a lot of traveling, new identities, physical seduction, as well as verbally deceiving not only the mark, but also innocent civilians as well.

A hint of a smirk appeared as the thought of lying amused her because it was something she knew she was basically good at growing up. It worked on her father and older sister but the one person she seemingly couldn't lie to no matter how hard she tried was her own mother.

The thought of her mother, the quintessential anchor the Wexler Family, both saddened and uplifted her. She knew of all the people that could understand why she's doing this it would be her own mother. In her mind, Emily Wexler didn't see her as a disappointment or someone who lacked potential.

She smiled at that particular thought because her mother saw her as a person. A young women to be exact growing up trying find her own identity in the world instead of having the identity chosen for her. In her own mind, she would be one to go to when she couldn't be able to take the insanity of what her father and older sister would personally put her through.

Emily Wexler gave her a sense of belonging in a family that she didn't quite fit in. It seemed all her young life was about seeking approval and love from not only her sister, but father as well. However, if her mother ever found out what she did in order to protect the safety of the United States and those who live in it she wouldn't be able to look her in the eyes let alone speak to her.

She feared the approval and love that always came from her mother would instantly be gone. To have the one person who understood her in every way turn her back on her would be a fate worse than death. The thought of what could possibly happen nearly brought her to tears but she quickly pulled herself together.

First impressions are key she thought to herself and to have the Director of the C.I.A walk in to see a crying agent wouldn't be a good way to start off the job. It shows weakness and in this line of business you need to show strong outward strength no matter how emotional you may be feeling inside.

The one nagging question that kept repeating in the back of her mind was will she able to remember who she truly is after its all said and done. She heard of past agents losing their own sense of identity as they gradually lose their sense of being to the point where they have no clue as the person staring back at them in the mirror.

She shook those thoughts out of her mind knowing the more she thought about it the more likely the little doubt she had would grow increasingly large. There was no doubt she wanted a new life and the C.I.A would be giving it to her. It took her a brief moment to gather herself and focus on the impending arrival of her new boss.

As she sat in the there clutching her file in her hands, the sound of the secretary's phone ringing caught her attention. As she looked up at her talking on the phone, she noticed her glancing in her direction as she spoke to whoever was on the other end of the line. At that very moment, she knew its was possibly go time.

_"Agent Walker…"_ Graham's secretary calmly said with a gracious smile on her face._ "…C.I.A Director Graham will see you now."_

Graham's secretary motions with her right hand towards his office and at that exact moment Sarah did everything in her power not to throw up. She takes a deep breathe all-the-while acknowledge her with a nervous smile and nod. She slowly stands up and begins walking towards the door.

The walk towards the door felt like a long trek but she got there nonetheless. As she placed her around the doorknob Sarah briefly closed her eyes and took a breath. She then opens her eyes, stands straight broadening her shoulders, puts her game face on, opens the door stepping into his office, and sees him standing behind his desk.

_"Agent Walker…"_ Graham gruffly said in a deep somwhat menacing tone. _"…have a seat."_ he added.

XXX

Archer's eyes are transfixed on the beaten, bruised, and bloody unconscious body of his former boss sprawled out on the left side of the couch. The couch itself not only shows signs of dust and blood, but also splattered fragmented pieces of the wall above him that fell during the barrage of gunfire.

As he stands hovering over his former boss like a Vulture about to finish off the what's left of the carcass of its victim, there is most definitely cruel intentions within his eyes. The cold, menacing look he exudes sends a loud and clear message no remorse will be shown whatsoever.

The vengeful soldier looks down at Graham's seemingly lifeless body and as he does so, his attention slowly turns towards the MK. 23 tightly gripped in his right had. The barrel end of the gun no longer felt cold and yet exuded a wrath of cold harshness after ringing out 10 consecutive shots, which he could still clearly smell.

He closes his eyes taking in the intoxicating smell that continues to resonate from his weapon sending him into a brief state of euphoria. In that brief moment, Archer thought to himself it would be so easy to just end Graham's life knowing that none of his team would be able to stop him in time if he quickly pulls the trigger.

He so wanted to finish the job in order for justice to be quickly be served for his fallen mentor who was there for him when his own father wasn't. The man standing over Graham's body with a look an intense seriousness on his face. Its that same intensity in which his own thoughts were screaming for him to pull the trigger.

It didn't take long for his eyes to open leading him to raise his gun pointing it mere inches away from Graham's left temple. As his finger slowly rests on the trigger of his gun ready to exact vengeance, a faint voice is barely heard that Archer initially ignores as he's intently focused on one thing and one thing only.

The corner of his mouth twitches as the grip on his gun grows increasingly tighter. The look in his eyes are of a man with absolute total focus to the point where it became an out of body experience in which everything around him stood completely still. It looks so surreal to him as if it was all a dream and yet it was all very real indeed.

He became keenly aware of his surroundings as well as those who are in the room with him. He could see himself standing over Graham's body with gun in hand pointing directly at his left temple and from his point of view he saw someone who he wasn't able to recognize.

The man he sees is not the same man who formulated well calculated master plan in the field of battle. A man who has been able to outwit many of his enemies by being smarter than them. However, what he sees is before him is a man with no soul behind his eyes as his emotions are dictating his actions.

It was truly disappointing for him to see before his own eyes a man who became wrapped up in his own personal vendetta . A vendetta that he never let go of despite telling his team not to be concerned about him even though he concealed it to the best of his ability signs of his emotional and mental well being.

In that moment Archer's thoughts were no longer clouded by the anger concerning the close relationship he and Captain Pike forged in which his former boss intentionally brought up in order to get him off his game. It amused him to the point where he actually gave him kudos as a hint of a smile appeared on his face.

_"Nice try old man but you failed."_

At that moment, things began to become vividly clear as to the situation and at hand. The personal feelings of disdain he harbored nearly cost he and his team the justice they all deserved. He began to realize how by being thrown off from his intended plans Graham would get the better of him.

_"Look at you…"_ Thoughts of sympathy replaces the stone cold revenge he had in mind. _"…you look so vulnerable and weak just lying there."_

The memories Archer had of Graham were always of being a very intimidating larger than life figure during his visits to "The Farm." It would the combination of what many potential agents called his death glare which would stare a hole right through you and his hulking presence who would send a chill up your spine.

When Graham spoke every young agent not only listened they also certainly paid close enough attention he thought to himself. He was notorious for making examples of anyone for not taking what they were being taught by calling out any of one them and getting a tongue lashing himself included.

Archer remembers a situation during a training exercises where Graham silently observed in the background while the instructors taught self defense techniques. He stood back keeping his presence known every once in a while know as he continued to pay close attention to each and every agent trainee in order to weed out the ones who he perceived strong candidates for field work.

The demonstration was like any other until he stepped forward a bit agitated because he thought several agents weren't taking it seriously. The old man stopped the training, walked right in front of us, stood there, and began looking at all of us as he took off his coat inevitably handing it to the instructor. After rolling up his sleeves he began giving a stern lecture about always knowing your enemy and exploit his or her possible weaknesses.

Of all the trainees, Archer never expected his name to be bellowed out he thought to himself. He considered himself a bit cocky, arrogant, and pretty much a hot head so that right there was used as an advantage for the veteran agent. Graham used me as a perfect example of what not to do and he pretty much played into his hand as he kept taking what I had to offer.

My pride was at stake and I didn't want to be punked out by Graham in front of my fellow agents in training. I thought I had him but he pulled a rope a dope letting me think I had the upper hand. Needless to say I got my ass handed to me as he executed some type of Vulcan death grip type move and I ended up momentarily blacking out.

When I slowly came to, I heard Graham stressing the fact to never underestimate by any means your enemy and what he or she is capable of because you never know what dirty, underhanded trick may be pulled. Whether it was mental, physical, or emotional he said or should I say demanded to always be prepared for anything to be thrown at you.

_"You taught me well old man, a little too well."_

There was an overall sense of calmness that came over Archer as he stood there as the tight grip he had on his gun loosened. However, he still had it pointing at his left temple and at that exact moment he felt a hand on his right shoulder causing him to be brought back to reality.

"Archer…" said Kahn. "…is everything okay?" she added as she leaned over a bit noticing the gun pointing directly at Graham's left temple. Archer quickly glances over his shoulder to see a look of concern on her face. She asks the question again with a bit more emphasis as her eyes dart back and forth from him to the gun in his hand aimed at Graham. "You okay Archer?"

"Yeah…" he responded as he released the handle and holstered his gun. "…I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I said I'm fine Captain." Archer emphatically repeated as he turned around to face her. "Any more questions you would like to ask?" he added looking up at everyone else in the room.

"No." replied Khan.

"Take Graham to one of the holding cells and search him thoroughly." he ordered. "I don't want to find out that he might be able to use something to escape or contact for help.

"Yes sir." she quickly responded.

Khan turns to the same two men that dumped Graham on the couch earlier giving both of them a nod. The two men quickly glance at each other and then immediately go over to pick up the limp body of the C.I.A Director. As they do, they avoid eye contact with Archer as much as possible.

Archer watches as his two men pick Graham up and then drag him towards the semi-lit hallway where they first entered inevitably disappearing into the darkness. There was a brief moment of silence as the attention shifted from the three men carrying Graham out into the hallway towards Archer with Kahn at his side.

"I'll be in my quarters." said Archer. The 6 remaining members of team Wolverine stood there as Archer turns to his left and walks towards a flight of stairs near a bookshelf. As he walks up the metal steps they give off a seemingly haunting echo within the room. Upon reaching the door he stops giving one last command before opening the door and stepping inside. "Its been a long day so I suggest all you get some rest as well."

XXX

Travis sat at the conference table texting on his cell phone as Casey, with his arms crossed, paces back and forth in front of the main Castle computer letting out several grunts in the process. From Travis' point of view, Casey pacing back and forth compared to that of a caged dog frothing at the mouth ready to do battle.

"Casey chill man…" said Travis with amusement as he sat back in his chair. "…your muzzle will be off and you shall be unleashed soon enough."

"Jokes at a time like this…" Casey responded. "…I don't find it funny do you." he added with emphatic growl his way as he continues pacing back and forth.

"Hey, just trying to lighten the mood dude."

Casey stops in front of the conference table looking directly across at Travis. The word "dude" annoyed him to no end as it became associated with the hippies who he thoroughly disliked. The word "awesome" would come a close second as it inevitably became a word that would unknowingly become part of his vocabulary mainly from hanging around Chucks brother-in-law for so long.

"Dude!" questioned Casey. "I am not a dude!" he bellowed as he slowly makes his way to where Travis sat. "I am a Major in the United States Air Force and don't you ever forget that. he added stabbing his index finger into Travis' right shoulder. "If you ever call me dude again I will show you how big my bite is."

"Casey!" hollered a female voice.

The two men look to their left seeing Sarah standing there with the both hands on each hip. Sarah sunk into the role of being able to handle Casey quite nicely even though it became difficult at times. She stood with her right eyebrow raised giving a stern look towards Casey who was about ready to pounce on Travis. As he backs off, he looks at Sarah.

"Where is you're boyfriend Walker?" asked Casey as he looked at his watch.

"He's on his way."

"He's got 5 minutes to show up or he's hitchhiking there."

At the same time he says that, the main Castle door sound as it opens up with Chuck stepping through. All three look up to see him with a black duffle bag hanging across his body while holding 3 drinks in a container in his left hand making sure not spill them and 3 sandwiches in his right.

"Hey, anybody want Subway sandwiches?" he asked with his all-too-familiar chuckish smile. "No point going on a mission on an empty stomach."

"Eat later." Casey grumbled as he walks up the stairs. "Grab your gear and let's head out to the hanger."

Casey walks past Chuck giving a low growl as he disappears out the door and out of sight.

"I'll save it for you later then..." hollered Chuck. "...just in case you get hungry big guy."

Sarah then follows with her gear in hand as she walks up the flight of stairs towards the man she loves inevitably stopping in front of Chuck who she gives a soft kiss on the lips to.

"Did you get my favorite?"

"Of course…" smiled Chuck. "…Subway Club without olives and a diet coke."

Sarah gives an approving smile as she grabs her sandwich from the bag and her drink from the container. She gives a quick kiss on the lips and as she heads out the door Chuck tilts his head with a grin on his face. Travis walks up standing beside him turning to his video game buddy seeing the grin on his face.

"You're a lucky man."

"I am..." responded Chuck. "...and so are you."

"I know." A smile appeared on Travis' face. "Did you get mine?"

"Big Philly Cheesesteak with a Dr. Pepper."

"You are the man." retorted Travis as he grabs his sandwich and drink.

"Yeah, I know." Chucking joking said.

"Will you two numbnuts hurry up!" hollers the echoing voice of Casey.

"You heard him, we better go before he goes rabid on the two of us."

A look of confused amusement appears on Chuck's face. He shakes it off and then changes the subject. "So, are we taking the Blackhawk since this is considered a matter of urgency?" asked the lanky business owner.

"Nope…" replied Travis as they both disappear out of Castle. "…we're taking the Bird of Prey."

XXX

_**NOTE: Chapter 6 is finally up and sorry for the delay. I'll try to have more chapters up as soon as I can. Read and enjoy.**_


	7. Dissention In The Ranks

A rusted out green metal door slides slowly open to the right and after a few seconds the unconscious body of Graham is being dragged in by Archer's henchmen. The two men shuffle into the small semi lit cell turning sideways heading straight for the bed and just like they did without any care whatsoever in the main room with Archer, as well as the rest of team, they drop him face down on to the bed causing the dust blanketing the bed to rise in the air.

The two men stand over him for a brief moment and then grab him in order to aggressively flip him over to get him on his back. For the seemingly two strong, rough, and rugged soldiers it was considerably tough because of Graham's size making it somewhat difficult to turn him face up. After successfully turning him over, they are about to search the fallen C.I.A. Director when one of the men suddenly breaks the silence.

"Riker, what was up back there?"

"I don't know Sisko…" responded Riker to his bald African American teammate shaking his head. "…you tell me."

"I saw Archer lose it out there…" said Sisko pointing out the cell door towards the main room. "…and that's what you saw too."

Riker didn't want to make any assumptions despite what he saw clear as day with his own two eyes. The hesitancy he feels in immediately responding could be clearly seen in his face and yet it became masked from his Wolverine teammate within the darkened cell. He wanted to give Archer the benefit of the doubt as to his apparent outburst directed to the man that lay unconscious before the two of them.

He bends down to rifle around the inside left pocket of Graham's suit jacket. After a moment or two, he takes a small piece of paper out. He stands straight up and then turns around walking towards the opening of the cell closely inspecting it in the available light in the hallway. The small piece of paper was the receipt to the restaurant that the old man ate at before his unfortunate accident.

"I don't know what I saw." Riker retorts.

The response he gives threw Sisko off a bit as a look of astonishment appears on his face while he knelt down to unbuckle Graham's belt. He unbuckles it and then proceeds to forcefully pull it towards him to the point of jerking it completely off from the last 2 loops of his pants. Now with Graham's belt in right hand he twirls it around a couple of times then throws it around his neck inevitably catching it with his left hand.

"You know as well as I do that Graham got in his head…" Sisko emphatically stated. "…and he nearly got it blown off because of it." he added.

He was right Riker thought to himself. The 2 years he served under Archer's command in the elite covert ops team codenamed Wolverine not once did he lose his composure even when it seemed the pressure of particular mission were getting to him. As young as he was, he was most certainly impressed at not only the mental strength Archer exhibited, but the physical strength to keep pushing forward.

To him, Archer exuded all the qualities to establish himself as a bonified leader. He's smart, deviously cunning, driven, relentless, and has the ability to think quickly on his feet in order to come up with several contingency plans at a moment's notice. However, the man who stood several feet in front of him in the main room was nothing like the man he described. This was a man who lost control.

As he stood there with his arms crossed and receipt in hand looking out into the hallway he couldn't help but think that nobody not even Archer is impervious to mentally breaking down when pushed to a certain point. Riker has known tougher men than Archer who have succumbed to the extreme mental, as well as physical torture they were put through and have never really been the same since."

"Graham's lucky Archer didn't aim lower." jokingly responded Riker as he turns around to face his brother in arms.

"You don't get it…" said Sisko. He walks towards him and as Sisko steps in the light Riker sees a look of disappointment of his face. "…do you?"

"What am I not supposed to get?" Riker walks past Sisko and stands over Graham. He bends down and begins searching him for more materials that he could possibly use to escape or contact for help. "Archer is human, just like you and me." he added.

"Are you sure?" said Sisko in a question manner. _Are you sure?_ Did he actually hear him right Riker thought to himself? He can't truly believe that Graham is an alien or something because it would be far fetched even for him to think let alone say. He shakes his head at the mere thought of it because to even suggest one of their own is considered not of this world is absolutely crazy. Riker turns around and gives a look of confused bewilderment as he slowly walks towards Sisko. "That's not what I meant." he defensively said.

"What do you mean then?"

"Listen…" Sisko paused as he briefly takes in a quick breathe. "…there is no denying the fact that kid out there is a super soldier. We've seen him do things that boggle the human mind but he has a weakness. He has a chink in his armor."

"Maybe."

"Ever since Capt. Pike's death, he has never been the same." He intently looks at Riker with seriousness in his eyes. "When he contacted the both of us to be a part of his plan knowing the 4 years we served under Pike before joining Graham's operation back in 2003 I had some concerns. I still have those concerns."

"Look, as far as I'm concerned he's mentally stable and was able to regain control of the situation."

"For now." responded Sisko with doubt in his voice. There was a brief moment of silence in the cell as the two men stood there. Sisko rubs his chin with his right hand and then points at him. "Can you tell me beyond a shadow of a doubt that Archer is fully capable of effectively leading this team without the threat of his personal feelings for Graham getting in the way?

"Affirmative…" responded Riker nodding his head in response to Sisko's question. "…what, you disagree?"

"Here's what I think…" Sisko leans in and lightly taps his fellow soldier on the chest."…he's a ticking time bomb waiting to explode."

XXX

A stream of hot water steadily comes out of the faucet down into the aluminum sink into the drain below until two hands cupped together reach in disturbing the flow as the steam rises. The steam from the hot water not only blankets the mirror in fog, but conceals the person's identity as well. The water fills up causing the overflow to spill over on either side of the two hands as they rise up to give some much needed relief.

Two hands return once again but instead of retrieving water they are placed on the side essentially gripping it. The person looks into the foggy mirror and then wipes away the build up of condensation revealing the reflection of Kirk Archer. He bends down once again to splash his face with water and then returns looking back into the mirror once again as the water slides down his face dripping off from both his nose, as well as chin.

He is no longer wearing the dark brown coat and black v length shirt as they are both hanging just off the right. The black tank top fit tightly showing not only his upper physique, but the scars of battles past. Around his neck hung the dog tag of his fallen mentor and friend Capt. Jonah Pike. It considered to him a symbol…an incentive to right the wrong that Pike so richly deserved.

_Get it together Archer_. He leans in staring deeply into the mirror at his own reflection. He shakes his head at nearly losing control of the situation and at that point his thoughts begin to drift back to the fateful night in Kabul. Pike's death was years ago, but to him it seemed like it just happened yesterday to the point where it replays over and over in his mind. A haunting memory that has never gone away.

However, the events leading up to that night were thoroughly engrained in his mind as it all began with a phone call 2 weeks prior. He and his team were heavily involved in a deep cover ops of surveillance and intelligence gathering mission in Afghanistan when he received a text message from Capt. Pike. A smirk appeared on his face as it was a nice surprise because he hadn't heard from him in a while.

He thought it would be a message consisting of the banter he would usually receive from him but this time it was different. When he opened it, the smirk quickly faded and his face fell reading the first 2 words on the small screen…I'm Compromised. He didn't read the rest of the message because those two words said more than enough causing him to take immediate action.

The Wolverine team leader scrolled through the numbers and dialed his mentor but when he tried to call he would hear the same thing over and over…the number you have dialed is no longer in service. He didn't waste any time as he began searching for another number in his phone as he would be the one person he knew would provide him with more information…Graham.

He pressed his number and waited for the other line to pick up but it never did. He left several voicemails instead. The anxiousness he felt turned to worry and the worry would ultimately go to sheer frustration at not being able to get through to talk to him. The minutes felt like hours as each tick on his wrist watch meant that Pike was running out of time. On thing was for sure, Archer's focus was completely gone from the current mission at hand.

It wasn't until several hours later that Graham called him back. He listened intently as much of the information he could give and when there wasn't anything more he could provide the concerned soldier waited for Graham to provide the next crucial move in order to extract Pike from danger. Archer expected him to give him orders for his team to implement a search and rescue knowing the friendship they shared from talking with Pike. For the life of him he didn't know how those two could be friend knowing how much exuded a laid back, friendly personality while Graham exuded more of a tight ass who you never be friends with.

As he was talking to him the tone in Graham's voice didn't sound like a man concerned for the safety of his friend but rather of a man concerned with the safety of United States. A slew of questions began running through his mind all of which came down to asking why? Why did the greater good of protect millions of Americans come at the cost of human life…a close friend and colleague for that matter? Then he heard the unthinkable.

_Your orders are to do nothing_. Those were the words that he heard Graham utter causing him to experience a brief stunned silence. He wanted to repeat those orders just to clarify if those were indeed the words the old man said. The man he ultimately turned to for help would not give it as Archer answers the question he didn't want know to be true…he's turning his back on him.

All through his training back at "The Farm" Graham constantly preached about the rules and how knowing them would keep you alive. Rule 1: Love and friendship…emotional attachments will get you killed. He remembered him saying to all of them that the trust you have for those around you will not be there and if your foolish enough to think so then you'll end up dead.

In hindsight, he should known that Graham truly was an emotionless, foolish bastard that didn't trust anyone not even his own friend. When he got off the phone he knew what had to be done and that meant defying orders. It was just a matter of gathering his team and informing them what the situation was to where he would give them a choice to either follow or walk away. They chose to follow.

He was a man on a mission and on that fateful night in Kabul he was able to locate him through trusted contacts he established during his stint in Iraq leading him, along with his team, to a warehouse where they found him hanging by his wrists and judging from the instruments on the table along with devices that were simply unimaginable to fathom they worked him over. They quickly eliminated the individuals responsible without any remorse whatsoever and took him to a undisclosed safe house provided by one their contacts to tend to his injuries.

The easy part was finding him but the reunion would be short lived as the hard part would be safely finding their way out because of the heightened state of security. They had to lay low giving them time to get him bandaged up and as much as Pike injures were considered treatable he knew he had to get him out of there as soon as possible. He devised a plan. The plan was essentially simple…stay low, keep out of sight, and avoid hostile fire with Kahn on standby awaiting his orders to bring the Blackhawk.

It didn't go exactly the way he wanted it because it ended up in all out fire fight. Yet, by hell or high water he was bringing Pike home. The barrage of gunfire and escape routes possibly blocked off causes he and the rest of his team on high alert causing him to implement plan B, which was in the black duffle bag that currently hung around him. He contacted his team to split up and spread out knowing they would be able to find their way out.

It was up to him and him alone to get Pike out. He remembers contacting Khan and telling her its time to snatch and grab. The snatch and grab was a risky move as it involved hooking a floating transmitter with not one person attached but two. It was a risky move to say the least because the person flying is in a high pressure situation and would need to be 100% accurate or fail. It would similar to fishing but there would absolutely be no bait at the end of the hook. To do it in broad daylight was easy, but to do it at night was unheard of.

Archer knew Khan was capable of pulling it off because he considered her an outstanding pilot. To pull it off he and Pike would have to be standing on top of the tallest building which was Landmark Hotel and Kabul City Centre. There was no time to waste as they booked it to the second extraction point hot wiring the first car they come across leading to a frenzied hot pursuit. As they were speeding off, Archer gave the go ahead to Khan.

It was utter chaos all the way with their vehicle barrel rolling a block away from the building. Both men were banged up and injured but that didn't stop them as they ran to and then up to the top of the roof of the LandMark Hotel and Kabul City Centrre. They were both certainly feeling absolute fatigue and with their lungs and legs burning they reached to top. Archer wasted no time in opening the black duffle back getting 2 harnesses out...his and Pike's. He quickly put his the harness attaching himself to an already harnessed Pike. He then took out from the bag the floating transmitter attaching it to the harness essentially triggering it to where it quickly inflated and then let it float several hundred feet in the air all in one fell swoop.

The extraction was pulled off in a matter of seconds with a few gunshots just to add to the tension but they were safe...or so he thought. The initial jerk shook him to the point of nearly passing out but he initially recovered. Pike, on the other hand, was already in a considerably weakened state causing him to be rendered unconscious. For all Archer knew he was fine but what he didn't notice was that one of the shots apparently hit Pike in the chest. He was literally clinging to life but he didn't know that at the time. He saved him but his mentor ended up dying nonetheless.

Archer didn't have time to be sad as it became his solemn duty to bring Pike home and honor him with a proper burial. While taking a few days to recoup from his injuries in Gardez Airbase in Afghanistan he knew his return to the states would not be welcomed with cheers, especially from one particular person. When he stepped off the back of the cargo plane in Quantico, he felt a mixture of emtions running through him. The body of his mentor laid in a casket with an American flag draped over it was carried it out by his team. The first person he saw was Graham himself in a pissed off mood but he was equally as pissed off. He was seething in anger and when Graham walked up with mp's behind him in a huff about to give him the third degree he immediately cold cocked him right across the jaw.

It didn't take long for him to be taken into custody. He knew Graham would punish his team, but they were spared after informing Graham they were only following his order. He was citied for a section 8, served his time, and several days later in a hearing he was dishonorably discharged with Graham in attendance. It would be the last time the two men saw each other as he would give Graham a death glare before leaving never to be seen again.

To see Graham again after 5 years brought back all the hatred he had for him. It took everything in his power to keep from getting his hands around his neck and choking the life out of him. Archer bends down to splash his face with hot water again. Turns off the faucet, and then grabs a towel to wipe his face. As he leans in with the towel now around his neck to take one more look in the mirror a knock is heard at his door. He throws the towel on his bed and walks to the door. When he opens it Khan is standing there.

"Sir…" Khan firmly said. "…may I have a word with you?"

XXX

"What makes you think he's a ticking time bomb?" questioned Riker.

"His eyes."

Riker really didn't get a good look at Archer's eyes as he was more preoccupied with rationalizing the entire situation he just witnessed. It was hard to believe that Graham could even stand up after being in a car crash of that magnitude because any normal human being wouldn't even attempt to get up. However, Graham wasn't considered a normal human being in his book.

Graham would not be type of guy that when you have him down he stays down he thought to himself. He was most certainly the type of guy who would make his enemies believe he's hurt only to pull a rope a dope on you inevitably getting the upper hand without even realizing until the end. The act of utter boldness to defy Archer by not flinching when he fired off 10 rounds directly at him at point blank range showed he had major cahones on his part.

"What about them?"

"During his tirade with Graham the lights were on, but there was definitely nobody home." Sisko replied.

"I think you're reach-"

Sisko quickly interjects before Riker could even finish what he was about to say. "They were cold, lifeless, and of absolute death.

"Archer wants justice like the rest of us…" replied Riker. "…and to get that he wants to admit he turned his back on Pike." he added.

"He wants more than just getting justice that is deserved." he added as he turns his head to look at the somewhat dark silhouette of Riker standing in the doorway.

"The truth and nothing but."

Sisko wonders if Graham is even capable of telling the truth…the real truth. He shakes his head at the mere mention of the word. The work they did as an elite covert ops unit blurred the lines of what is and wasn't the truth. The truth is what this team wants and yet its something that has most certainly been Archer's main focus for the last 5 years he thinks to himself.

He turns around heading towards Graham, and bends down searching his pants pockets retrieving a broken cell phone, a ball point pen, tie, his wallet, his watch, as well as loose change to which he puts in his own pocket. Sisko straightens up to where he moves towards the open cell door where Riker stands and before passing him he places his left hand on his left shoulder.

"Look, I think we have to protect our own interests here in case this whole things turns south."

"Let's just play it by ear for now and if Archer continues to show signs of erratic behavior we'll talk with Khan, agreed?" suggested Riker.

Sisko nods in agreement and before they both leave Riker walks over to a still unconscious Graham. He removes his shoes leaving him wearing only his black socks. When he walks out the cell door he gets a strange look from his Wolverine teammate as if to say why take the old man's shoes.

"Hey…" shrugged Riker as he quickly glances back at Graham laying on the bed shoeless. "…you never know."

Riker pats his teammate on his right shoulder as he walks off. Sisko responds with a smirk on his face and before following him he swipes his key card to where the cell doors slowly closes with Graham inside.

XXX

Kahn stands at attention in the middle of Archer's quarters. She's stiff with both feet together and hands at her sides. She doesn't say as her eyes are keenly focused on the wall before her. They don't dart back and forth searching to see where her commanding officer is. Its at that point, Archer walks into view looking straight at her.

"At ease Capt." commanded Archer. Khan eases her stance as her hands are behind her and her feet are now separated a few inches apart. "What's on your mind?"

"Can I speak freely sir?" asked Khan.

Archer nods giving the lone female Wolverine team member the opportunity to ere the concerns she has. "Proceed."

"I didn't want to ask you this in front of the men, but…"

"But what Capt?" responded Archer.

The look of intensity in his eyes causes her to choose her words very wisely. "I just want to know if…if Graham's trial is still a go?" she asked.

"Affirmative." There is moment of awkward silence as Archer stands there giving a question look towards Kahn. He sees by the look on her face that she wants to say something. "Is that all?"

Kahn stands there wanting to blurt out the questions she's itching to ask. She wanted to speak about the situation that just happened out there and how it caught everyone in the room completely off guard. She wanted to know whether or not he could mentally handle what was to come because if what was seen out there was any indidcation of what might possibly happen then everything they…he worked for would fall apart.

It's going to be challengeing to say the least because Graham wouldn't make it easy for Archer. He knew how to push his buttons and as much as the old man accredited himself to be the master puppeteer pulling the strings of his band of many agent marionettes it would be Archer who could cut his own strings and no longer be his puppet. He respected him for that and now with Graham captured he can finally cut ties with the past.

Her thoughts began drifting off when the sound of a clearing throat brought her attention back to Archer standing there expecting an answer. He was type of guy who not only gave you what you needed to know nothing more nothing less, but also the type of guy who didn't take kindly to be asked too many questions. She didn't want to push the issue any further.

"Yes sir." responded Kahn.

Archer gives another nod signaling her that its time to leave. As she turns to reach for the door handle, she feels a hand firmly placed on her forearm stopping her from leaving. She looks back glancing down and then looks up to see Archer a few inches away from her. She feels him pull her in closer and just as they about to kiss she closes her eyes. The kiss itself felt soft and tender leaving all of her concerns to slowly faded away. She felt totally at ease as he held both her hands. And when their lips parted she opened her eyes to see Archer's eyes locked with hers.

"Don't worry about me…" Archer comfortingly said with a hint of a smile on his face. "…I'm fine really I am." he added squeezing both her hands.

Khan responds with a smile of her own as she rests her forehead on his. She feels his right hand caress her left cheek and then a light kiss her forehead. The looks in his eyes as he looks at her reassures her things for the moment were fine. Archer escorts her out the door and when it closes with her behind it the hint of the smile on his face slowly fades as he lightly taps the door with his fist. He leans forward resting his forehead on the door clsing his in the process, takes a deep breathe in, opens his eyes and then reaches over flipping the lights out**.**

XXX

_**NOTE:**_ _**First off Merry Christmas everybody and secondly hope you like this present. This chapter was a bit difficult to write but it got written. Please leave comments and tell me what you think.**_


	8. By Any Means Necessary

Its midnight somewhere over the West Coast and high atop the night sky roughly 32,000 ft. in the air, Team Chuck streaks towards their intended destination of Washington D.C. in an aircraft similar to the design of the private jet of fictitious billionaire Tony Stark from the movie Iron Man. The aircraft itself looks harmless but looks can be deceiving as its equipped with a plethora of high powered, state of the art weaponry provided by Wexler Industries.

The beastly plane was unveiled to the team as a surprise by Sarah's father Jeremiah Wexler. It wasn't completely finished and yet all 4 team members had different reaction upon seeing the plane for the very first time. Sarah reaction was subdued while Casey's reaction showed signs of eagerness to get in the cockpit and fly it to see how she feels in the air. Chuck and Travis' reaction, on the other hand, were far more expressive totally nerding out.

The two men looked at each other knowing what the other was thinking and in unison gave it its unofficial name The Bird Of Prey. Sarah found it amusing in a cute sort of way especially when she saw the big smile on Chuck's face. Casey, on the other hand, was the total opposite as he gave his usual low grunt worthy response whenever the two acted giddy like two pathetic little school girls.

It didn't just stop there as they requested Wexler for the aircraft to be painted green, which was immediately rejected by Casey. The request was squashed but that didn't dampen their spirits as they sharpened their resolve requesting to have a Klingon phrase written just above the door. Once again, Casey interjected threatening to cause bodily harm to both of them if that happened causing Sarah to step in.

Sarah, taking a cue from her business savvy father, negotiated a deal that both parties mutually agreed upon. The agreement was Casey would allow the Klingon phrase only if Chuck and Travis came up with a phrase suitable to live up to his own personal standards. The two men began coming up with ideas and the two suggestions Travis came up with were **"heghlu'meh qaq jajvam!" (It's a good day to die)** and **"batlh biheghjaj"(May you die well)**, but having the word die painted on the plane didn't sit too well with Chuck.

It took a while but the phrase was eventually chosen and when they ran it passed Casey he begrudgingly gave it a grunt of approval. Chuck and Travis breathed a sigh of relief thanking Sarah for giving them that knowing in the back of their minds she would want a favor in return. As the team would venture off to mission off to far away destinations, they would step through the door knowing that above their head read the following Klingon phrase **"ghij qet jaghmeyjaj" (May your enemies run from you with fear)**

The atmosphere inside the main cabin of the plane exudes a sense of calm despite the gravity of the whole situation. It was all business as they left the hanger and all 4 knew what was expected of them because of all the mission they have been a part of this particular one became more personal than professional. The time for jokes and sarcastic quips were replaced by an ere of seriousness and a look of determination, especially in Sarah's eyes.

Chuck and Travis show heaviness in their eyes nodding off every once in a while but they were willing to fight through the fatigue for Sarah's sake. All three were gathered around the conference while Casey manned the cockpit where he truly felt at home. They were looking over files, as well as photos both on the table and on a touch screen monitor to see if they possibly missed anything that could remotely shed new light on the situation.

The sound of frustration soon replaced the sound of paper shuffling and a beeping monitor. The sound didn't come from Chuck as he quickly awoke from briefly nodding off. It didn't come from Travis as he had his back turned standing in front of the touch screen monitor looking at photos. The two men turn to see Sarah with her arms resting on the conference table rubbing her eyes with her right hand moving to her forehead.

"You okay?" Chuck asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine" responded Sarah as she runs her right hand through blonde locks inevitably scratching her head. "We don't have any definite leads on Graham's whereabouts."

The look of frustration on Sarah's face was something that Chuck became familiar with over the past 2 years. To be quite honest, the frustrations she experienced in the past was partly his fault as situations like not staying in the car wasn't his forte he thought to himself. Yet, he was always able to make her feel better in his own way to the point where she either smiled, laughed, or both.

He knew the pressure she was possibly putting on herself concerning getting back not only her mentor, but a government official on the highest level with valuable top secret information. The stress she felt could be seen on not only her face, but in her body language as well. At that moment, Chuck glances at Travis giving him nod and he quickly knows what he's thinking.

"I think we all need some coffee." said Travis. "I'll go make a fresh pot." he added as he disappears around the corner leaving Chuck and Sarah alone.

Sarah hunches over crossing her arms placing them on the table and then slowly buries her head resting her forehead on her left forearm. A deep sigh of frustration is heard causing Chuck to hunch over with concern as he places his left hand on top of Sarah's head rubbing and inevitably scratching it. He then moves from the top of her head to her neck where he begins massaging it.

The stress related tension she felt before began to subside. She could feel a smile growing on her face as his soft but strong hands loosened her up a bit more. Sarah could always count on his massages especially after a mission and he would most definitely know all the right places to work out any knots. The sound of frustration gradually turned into the sound of sweet relief causing a smile to appear on Chuck's face.

"Better?" inquires Chuck as he kisses the back of her neck.

"Much." Sarah still with a smile on her face sits up leaning back on her chair. "Thank You." she added.

"No problem…" Chuck holds both hands up. "…these hands aren't just handy with an Xbox controller you know."

Sarah responds with a hint of laughter and then reaches up intertwining her right hand with Chuck's left. She then moves towards her inevitably kissing it and then places it down on the conference table where she gently rubs the top of his hand with her thumb. She feels absolutely at ease knowing the man she loves is at her side succeeding yet again in making her comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.

"You always know the right buttons to push Mr. Bartowski." She retorted giving him a playful bump.

The two share a relaxing moment with their eyes closed sitting quietly in the conference area. The muffled sound of the plane's engines are the only thing they hear at the moment. It sounded quite soothing to both of them as Chuck put his left arm around the love of his life. Sarah felt content on staying like this forever cuddled next to her beau but it would be Chuck to unfortunately bring her back to reality.

"We're going to get him back Sarah…" Sarah opens her eyes and looks up at him with a loving smile. "I…we're not going to let you down."

"I know." Sarah softly said as she reaches up to kiss him on the lips.

Chuck knew giving his word to Sarah to get Graham back was a tall order indeed being that they had no idea where he is. However, it was important to her to get him back knowing how much of an influence he had on her career as a spy. He too thought it important to get Graham back mainly because he was partly responsible for bringing he and Sarah together.

"Travis should be done making coffee. Do you want some?"

"Yeah, cream…"

"Two sugars and a hint of syrup I know" replied Chuck as he stands up from the table. As he heads out to get the coffee he glances back to see a look of amazement on Sarah's face.

She truly is a lucky woman Sarah thought to herself as she leans back sitting comfortably in her chair watching Chuck walk away inevitably disappearing around the corner. The blonde C.I.A agent lets out another sigh of contentment as she closes her eyes with a smile on her face.

XXX

Travis is in the kitchen area leaning against the sink with his arms crossed and a red coffee straw in between his teeth. He intently chews it as he waits patiently for the coffee maker to fill up the pot with some fresh brew. As he waited, Chuck appears leading Travis to give his buddy a silent head nod to which he responds back with a head nod of his own.

"How is Sarah holding up?" asked Travis.

"She's doing okay." responded Chuck as he stands in front of and inevitably leaning back against the gray aluminum refrigerator door. "Its tough on her you know."

Its is tough Travis thought to himself. He could sympathize with Sarah's plight in regards to Graham's disappearance because he considered Tobias not only his mentor, but a father figure as well. He and Sarah had somewhat similar backgrounds as their father's were part of the organization known as The Zeitgeist, but unfortunately his father was killed in action when he was a young teenage boy.

Travis knew Tobias and his father were close friends which is why it didn't surprise him at all for the old man to step up becoming the strong male figure in his life. If he could compare him percentage wise he would most definitely be 90% Casey and 10% Chuck's dad. Tobias sure wasn't the type of guy who as Casey put it share his lady feelings with you.

In any case, he took him under his wing training him physically, as well as mentally and without his tutelage he wouldn't be the soldier, father, or even husband he is today. He his moments, not many though, where he would show compassion and it would be those moments he would cherish. Of course, Tobias did share several things in common in with Graham one of them being how much of a hard ass he can be but it made him a better soldier because of it.

"We'll get him back…" Travis emphatically stated. "…for her."

"I know man. Sarah knows that too and she's grateful for it…"

"Why do I have a feeling there a going to a but at the end of that sentence." questioned Travis.

Travis was right as there was indeed a pretty big but at the end of the sentence. It was going to take a miracle for them to find any solid leads that would help their situation. The leads on Graham's right now on his whereabouts where few and far between. Added to that the lack of cooperation from Beckman concerning the restricted files on Archer and the rest of his team weren't helping their cause any.

"We all know when we get to D.C. its going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack." the successful business owner answered.

"Hey, do you remember in the movie Star Trek Generations how Kirk alters the deflector shields in order to save The Enterprise and another ship from an energy ribbon?

A questionable look appears on Chuck's face. "Yeah and because of his heroic efforts he gets sucked into the energy ribbon leading the Enterprise crew along with the entire Federation thinking he's presumed dead so what's your point" he stated. "Wait, are you saying Graham is presumed dead." Chuck added.

"Whoa…" responded Travis taking out the red straw from between his teeth waving it in Chuck's direction. "…that's not what I'm saying dude."

"What are you saying then'

"Listen, Dr. Tolian Soran who originally created the energy ribbon is Archer and it took a lot of planning on his part for him to capture Graham who in all intensive purposes is considered to be Kirk." he explained. "He's going to take his time on whatever he's got planned for him giving us time to somehow receive or at least find a distress call of sorts in order to get his exact location, which is hopefully sooner than later.

Travis observes what all he said registering in Chuck's head. He then notices a questionable look appear on his face leaving him to wonder if he's about to ask a very important question relating either to the mission itself or concerning Sarah. For a brief moment, Chuck is quiet with a serious look on his face and from Travis' view point it must be something major.

"I have a question." Chuck says abruptly.

"Shoot."

"Am I Data or Picard in this scenario?"

"Well…" Travis looks intently at Chuck slightly tilting his head, crosses both arms, and points his chewed red straw at him. "…since you are a surprising wealth of knowledge involving intel to which I am thoroughly amazed each time I might add I would have to say you're definitely Data which makes me Picard.

"Picard is bald and you my friend have a full head of hair."

"What I don't lack in hair I can make up for in doing a British accent." Travis amusingly said.

"What about Sarah?"

"Blonde, beautiful, and can kick your butt…Seven of 9." the 4 member of Team Chuck retorted.

"Seven of 9 wasn't even in Star Trek Generations…" replied Chuck. "…she was in the series Star Trek Voyager.

"For arguments sake she is in STG."

The two men were so focused on their discussion they didn't notice the coffee pot filling to the brim. They continue their discussion when Chuck brings up their fellow teammate. "What about Casey?" Chuck asked.

"Well that easy, Casey's Worf."

The two laugh at the thought of Casey as Word because quite frankly it suit him. At that very moment, Casey growled as he walked into the kitchen. The burly NSA Agent startles them both as he grabs a plastic cup beside the coffee maker. He picks up the coffee pot, pours himself a cup of java, turns around glaring at the two men as he takes a sip.

"What are you two giggling about?"

"Nothing really…" answered Chuck. "…just comparing Star Trek characters with certain people."

Casey gives a low grunt with a hint of smirk with Chuck's response. "Figures."

"How long till we reach D.C.?" Travis inquired.

"ETA 4 hours." Casey turns around to pour more java in his cup and before exiting back to the cockpit he gives a parting shot to the both of them. "You two girls have fun gabbing away about Star Wars."

"Star Trek." responded Chuck and Travis in unison.

"Whatever." replied Casey as he walks out of sight from the two.

Chuck and Travis look at each other shrugging off what Casey said to the both of them. Travis gets his cup of coffee, pours some cream along with some sugar into it, and then stirs it with the same small red straw he chewed on. Chuck then steps up to pour his coffee first taking his black and then pours Sarah putting cream, sugar, and when he reaches over to get the small bottle of syrup he finds that its empty.

"I'll be right back. Got to ask Sarah a quick question."

As Chuck leaves, Travis responds by raising his cup in air and then takes a sip of his java. It take a couple of seconds for Chuck to reach Sarah and just as he is about to turn the corner and call out her name he finds her comfortably laying back fast asleep. He smiles as he walks quietly over and grabs a blanket from a nearby shelf. He gently places it on her and then softly kisses the top of her forehead. As he walks away, he stops to dim the conference lights low leaving Sarah to enjoy her slumber.

XXX

A long semi lit corridor seemingly stretches for miles with a small light at the far end shines brightly. Its eerily quiet as sporadic sounds of dripping water are heard echoing throughout the corridor. The sounds of dripping water is suddenly replaced with the echoing sounds of heavy foot steps of more than one person is heard stomping the ground. As the foot steps get heavier and heavier a female voice is heard.

"We're almost there!" the female voice screamed. "Just hang on a little longer."

"Don't worry about me Sarah!" the male voice screamed back. "Keep running!"

An armed Sarah continues running up the corridor towards the light at the end of the corridor. She is highly aware of not only what's behind her but she's certainly aware of who she has in front of her as well…Graham. The intensity of the situation is palpable as the two people are breathing heavily and after running what seems like forever the beleaguered C.I.A. director stumbles to where he falls to the ground.

Sarah rushes to his side all-the-while her weapon drawn aiming it down the corridor they just run up from. "Are you okay sir!"

The student and her mentor went through a tumultuous battle getting to this particular point and nothing would stop both them from escaping. She quickly looks him over for any additional injuries that he may have suffered. It takes only a few seconds to assess that he's fine despite suffering a gun shot wound to his left leg, which didn't hamper him at all from taking down a couple of Archer's men.

It was a amazing sight indeed witnessing Graham in action and from what she saw of her mentor he still had it. She had never in her life seen the absolute intensity eminating from his eyes, as well as, the smirk on his face as he apparently enjoyed getting into the mix of things against his much younger adversaries. Graham looks up at her as is about to respond when bullets start flying in their direction.

The two agents simultaneously draw their weapons firing several rounds down the corridor instantly dropping another of Archer's men. They continue to leave their guns aimed down the corridor anticipating the possibility of more gunfire. For the moment, things seem relatively safe allowing Graham to respond to his best agent.

"Agent Walker stay focused!" ordered Graham gritting his teeth from the pain he feels in his left leg.

_"_How is your leg?"

"Don't focus on my leg. Focus on getting out of here and then we'll deal with my leg. That's an order!" he emphatically stated.

To be by her mentor's side deep in the trenches fighting together felt great and yet it was different at the same time. Its as if she was back at the academy as a rookie and every move she made was under a microscope thoroughly disected. As much as she wanted to tell him to shut up and be grateful for their hard effort to rescue him she instead nods in compliance with Graham's orders. Its at that point she contacts the rest of her team.

"Casey come in, do you copy?"

Sarah hears silence, but isn't all that worried. She then contacts Travis.

"Travis come in, do you copy? Travis do you read me."

She again hears silence causing her to be a bit concerned but doesn't show it in front of Graham. Sarah then contacts Chuck hoping and praying he answers.

"Chuck come in, do you copy? Chuck come in, do you copy" she repeated as Graham looks on. _Please baby talk to me!_ she screamed in her head,

Sarah anxiously waits for Chuck's response with baited breathe. The seconds seem like excruciating hours and just when she couldn't take the silence any longer she finally gets a response.

_"Sarah."_ Chuck's voice is faint and barely audible but she could hear him.

"Chuck, are you okay. I can't reach Casey or Travis…"

_"They're…"_ She hears a brief moment of silence causing her to listen intently.

"What Chuck, they're what?"

_"Dead."_ Chuck softly said. Sarah exudes a stunned look on her face as Chuck uttered that dreaded word. It took everything in her power to not cry because of how much Casey and Travis meant to her, but when it came to Chuck it became difficult to hold in the tears.

"Chuck, are you okay? Are you safe?"

There is another brief silence. _"Sarah, I've been badly shot."_

"I'm coming to get you." Sarah begins to get up and starts to head back down the corridor put is immediately stopped by Graham pulling her back towards him.

"Agent Walker where are you going?" questioned Graham.

"Chuck has been shot!" Sarah tearfully stated.

The agent who at one time could bury her feeling deep inside herself could no longer do so as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"He knew the risks."

Sarah rips her arm away from Graham grip. The extreme intensity of the situation is suddenly halted as she hears the voice of Chuck in her ear again.

_"Sarah."_

"Chuck…Chuck I'm here."

_"Its up to you…"_ Sarah hears him cough several times. _"…you have to get…get Graham out."_

"I'm not leaving you."

_"Its too late for me."_

"Don't say that."

_"I will always be with you. I love you Sarah."_

"I love you Chuck." It pained her to say it knowing it would be the last time she would say those three words to him.

_"Sarah, remember my heart is yours…"_

Chuck's voice goes silent at the other end and the only thing she hears is static. Tears stream down Sarah's face as she hangs her head and struggles to finish the words Chuck was going to say. "For all time."

Sarah in that instant became an emotional wreck and while standing there in tears she knew Graham is silently judging her. She knew what he would be thinking she thought to herself…spies don't fall in love because of exactly this type of situation. However, she didn't care at all about the C.I.A or what Graham thought about her and Chuck's relationship.

Chuck's last request would be for her to get Graham out. She would fulfill it…as her final duty as a spy. Its at that point she pulls herself together wiping her eyes with her sleeve and takes in several deep breaths before turning around giving a glaring look towards her soon to be former boss.

"Agent Walker?" Graham stands there waiting for a response leading him to call out to her again. "Sarah."

"My name is DeAnna Wexler and once I get you to safety…" Sarah pauses as she slowly walks and inevitably stand in front of Graham. "…I quit." she calmly stated.

"So be it. Once we are safely out of harms way you and the C.I.A. will part ways." he responded. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Thank Travis, Casey, and most of all Chuck."

The agreement now established between the two they make their way towards the bright light at the end of the tunnel. As they run towards the end of the corridor, Sarah senses something is not quite right but continues running keeping a watchful both in back of her and with Graham running as best he can with an injured left leg in front of her. She quickly discharges her empty clip and adds a full one all in one fell swoop.

The bright light at the end of the tunnel gets closer and closer but just as they are about to reach the end they both find themselves in a hail of gunfire coming from behind them once again. Sarah exchanges gunfire down the semi lit corridor not knowing whether she hit whoever was firing. Graham also exchange gunfire as well but soon runs out of ammo.

Sarah briefly stops to turn around and fire a couple rounds down the corridor as Graham hobbles his way towards to the bright light at the end of the corridor. She glances in front of her to see Graham nearly make it to the opening of the corrider causing her to fire off a few more rounds and then quickly turns to follow suit. Sarah would soon be free in more ways than one but there is an unexpected turn of events as a glass partition suddenly lowers separating her from not only Graham, but a hundred feet from freedom.

She quickly discharges her weapon directly at the glass partition but it doesn't shatter as it just leaves several superficial cracks. Sarah focus on the glass partition is interrupted by the appearance of Graham who ran back to help her.

"Sir, get out of here."

"What about you?"

"What matters is your safety sir! Go now!" she screamed pointing behind him out towards the opening of the corridor.

As they stand there, more gunfire is heard hitting the glass partition leading Sarah to hug the side of the corridor and then returns fire. She glances back at Graham who is still standing there causing her to scream at him once more.

"Go now and that is an order!"

She sees Graham place his hand on the glass partition and gives her a look that surprises her. It's a look of compassion which is something he never really quite showed to her during her years as a spy. In that brief moment, she became touched by the presence of humanity he's showing her causing her to place her hand on the glass partition directly in front of his.

"You always got the job done by any means necessary." Graham stated with a smile on his face. "I have and always will consider you my best agent."

Sarah responds with a smile of her own. The moments last briefly as more gunshots ring out from the dark corridor causing Sarah to remove her hand from the glass partition in order to hold her weapon with both hands and exchange more rounds not knowing whether or not she hit anybody.

She quickly glances back to see Graham about disappear into the bright light at the end of the corridor but before he does he looks back giving her a look of acknowledgement. Graham is then gone and when she turns around she's immediately hit in the right shoulder, right leg, and the side of her stomach causing her to fall forward sliding against the glass partition leaving a splatter of her own blood on it down to the ground.

Sarah fires a few more rounds down the corridor to the point where she runs out of ammo. She reaches for another clip but unfortunately finds she has no more to speak of and knowing her time is up she throws her weapon to the side. As she lays there bleeding against the glass partition, the sound of gunfire stops and for a brief moment there is absolute silence.

The silence is soon replaced by sound of footsteps dragging at a seemingly steady pace. She hears the footsteps get increasingly closer to the point where a figure appears hobbling slowly but surely towards her. The figure eventually hovers over and from her vantage point she looks up at the face of Kirk Archer. As he stand over her, he doesn't say a word and all he does is raise his weapon aiming at her head, pulls back the handle, and with a devilish smirk on fires one round. As she sees the gun discharge, Sarah immediately wakes up to Chuck with his left hand on her right shoulder. At first she's disoriented but gradually gains consciousness inevitably seeing the face of the man she loves.

"Hey, we're here." he said giving his all-too-familiar Chuckish smile.

She looks to see him along with Casey and Travis alive and well. The relief she feels is seen in her eyes as she holds Chuck's hand. Sarah looks out the window to see the sun shining and takes in a deep breathe knowing the nightmare she experienced would hopefully not come to fruition. A look of serious begins to appear as she knows what has to be done.

XXX

"So what's the plan?" Travis wondered as he is the first to exit out of the plane.

"I honestly don't know Trav." responded Chuck who is right behind him.

"The plan is for you two to stop yapping and move it before I stick my foot up both your asses." barks Casey.

All 3 team members exit the plane with their gear in hand leaving Sarah who is lost in thought the last to exit out. Chuck, Travis, and Casey converge on an awaiting black S.U.V. several feet away from the plane. The three men reach their transportation getting in the vehicle with Casey getting behind the wheel, Travis in the passenger seat, Chuck behind Casey, and then finally Sarah who sits across from Chuck.

"Sarah are you okay?" Chucks asked. "You seem out of it."

All 3 men look back at their female teammate. "I'm fine." she responded. "Drive Casey."

"Where?"

"C.I.A Headquarters."

"Why C.I.A. headquarters?" wondered Travis.

"Its part of the plan."

"Great, we have a plan. Do you mind sharing it with the rest of us Walker." grunted Casey.

"What are we planning to do at the C.I.A. exactly." Chuck inquires with vapid curiosity.

"Beckman said get him back by any means necessary right?" All 3 men nod in agreement. "Well, we're going to break into Graham's office."

XXX

**_NOTE: I hope you all enjoyed this particular chapter as I took my time writing it. Leave your comments as usual and like many of you who watched the 2 hour season priemere and the following episode on Monday I was seriously stoked that the show is back._**


	9. Don't Freak Out

_You're joking right?_ Its what Chuck would have said out loud to Sarah but when he witnessed the look of seriousness on her face he knew she wasn't joking at all. It became perfectly clear to not only him, but to Travis and Casey sitting in their seats that the only way to know where his possible whereabouts are is to break into the one place that has all the information…C.I.A. Headquarters.

Director of the C.I.A Langston Graham's office to be exact would be the intended destination for Team Chuck. Its going to be a tall order to undertake Chuck thought to himself. They have broken into buildings before getting the information they needed as they easily got past security but to get past security in of all places C.I.A Headquarters would be difficult task at hand, especially if they got caught.

As much as they have faced adversity with their backs against the wall time and time again Chuck knew using unconventional tactics especially for this mission of importance would most definitely fall under the same category. By any means necessary. Beckman stated it and Sarah reiterated it to all three of her teammates. Chuck's thoughts began drifting off until Sarah's voice snapped him back to reality.

"Why aren't we moving?" asks Sarah looking directly at Casey

The attention that Chuck and Travis had on Sarah quickly focused on Casey who not only sported a hint of a smirk on his face but gave his usual grunt worthy response. Chuck knew right away the sound of amused snarkiness otherwise known as grunt 6. It wouldn't help Casey's cause any to antagonize Sarah knowing the emotional state she is currently in Chuck thought to himself.

He decided to interject before Casey found himself laid out but before he could open his mouth the burly agent spoke up. "Oh, I'm trying to add up in my head the numbers of years all 4 of us could face in prison for breaking into Graham's office." responds Casey.

Chuck's eyes to widen at Casey's response. A slew off thoughts began running through his mind if they were caught and sent to prison. He knew that he wouldn't be able to survive in there unless Casey, Travis, and Sarah were there to protect him knowing that with his tall and lanky figure he would most definitely be somebody's girlfriend. The mere thought of what could happen to him sent a shiver down his spine to where immediately cleared his throat.

"So…" said Chuck with a nervous smile. "…how many…um…years do you think we will face big guy?"

"I'd say give or take…" Casey takes a brief moment to look down as Chuck's eyes are glued on him watching him mull over the number of years they all could possibly face in prison. "…10 years tops."

The answer causes Chuck's eyes to grow even wider to the point where they were about to pop out of its sockets. He averts his attention from Casey towards Travis thinking he may have the same concerns as he does about breaking into Graham's office. However, instead of seeing absolute concern on the possibility of being incarcerated for a decade he sees a smile on his face, which doesn't make him feel any better.

The wide eyed business owner couldn't understand why his teammate would be smiling at a time like this knowing what they were about to do. In that moment, he calmed himself just enough to briefly take a much needed breath and speak to him.

" Trav, you just heard Casey…" Chuck glances at a still smirking Casey and then back at Travis with concern. "…we could get 10 years in prison and you're smiling." wondered Chuck. "Why dude?"

The smile quickly fell flat from Travis' face. "My bad?" responded Travis. "It's the soldier in me that loves the thrill of a challenge and when I heard Casey say we could all face prison time breaking into Graham's office I guess I got excited."

_The possibility of being sent to prison excited him?_ Is he out of his mind Chuck thought to himself as he looked at Travis? The response completely floored Chuck and yet it didn't surprise him one bit to hear him say that. You see, as much as he sees a kindred spirit in him when it comes to video games, as well as movies he is after all a soldier like Casey but doesn't have the reputation of being known as a burnout.

A hint of a smirk appeared on Chuck's face but his attention on Travis would quickly be averted by the sound of a clearing throat. It was distinctly female and sounded emphatic with a hint of agitation. All three men turned their attentions towards a visibly perturbed Sarah sitting back in the back seat, arms crossed tapping her right finger on the side of her left arm, biting her lower lip, and right eyebrow cocked high.

"Are you boys done feeling all giddy about prison?" stated Sarah.

"Come on Walker, just giving the heads up on what we're up against. Besides…" retorted Casey as he quickly glances at Chuck, Travis, and then finally stops to look at Sarah. "…orange isn't my color."

Sarah doesn't respond. She only stares at Casey giving a ice cold stare towards his direction that would make anyone uncomfortable. The icy stare would be interrupted by Travis interjecting his thoughts into the mix.

"As long as we don't end up like Kirk and McCoy in the movie Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." Travis joking said. Chuck acknowledges the reference but Sarah and Casey respond with blank stares leading him to explain further. "Kirk and McCoy were sent to this arctic alien penal colony called Rura Penthe because they were charged with murder for assassinating Chancellor Gorkon sentencing them to life imprisonment by the Klingon High Council, which was totally bogus. And…"

"And…" Chuck jumps into the conversation with a hint of excitement in his voice. "…Kirk and McCoy escape before finding out who really assassinated the Chancellor. They devise a plan with Spock and when they find out who the perpetrator really is it is revealed to be Spock's protégé Valeris played by the future Sexy In The City star Kim Catrall. Spock does the Vulcan Mind Meld and to make a long story short they save the day like always."

"Exactly!" chimed in Travis as he goes in for a fist tap which Chuck reciprocates.

"Is there a point to this?" grunted Casey

"No point really…" Travis looks at Casey and then turns to look back at Sarah and Chuck. "…it just popped into my mind. Hey, look on the bright side though, if we do go to prison we could be out in 5 years for good behavior." he added with a sheepish smile.

"Can we not talk about prison please." states Chuck.

"What is Bartowski? Afraid of being someone's woman?" grunted Casey.

Chuck was about to respond when Travis snaps his finger and inevitably points at Chuck. "Oh Dude, remember David Bowie's wife who played an alien shape shifter chick that Kirk made out with while he was there…"

"Hey!" Sarah cuts off Travis causing all 3 men to immediately direct their attention towards her. "I need to know…" She glances around the car intently looking at all 3 men starting with Casey and ending with Chuck. "…are you with me on this?" she emphatically states.

The car goes so silent at that particular moment you could hear a pin drop. The only sound that is heard is the muffled sound of the engine. Sarah waits for the answer from 3 of her teammates who knows how much she needs them more than ever because without them by her side having her back on what she considers THE most important that she has ever been on she would be absolutely lost.

"All jokes aside. I'm in." firmly stated Travis. "You can count on me Sarah."

Sarah gives Travis a nod leading her to look at Casey who doesn't say a word. He just nods giving her a grunt with a look seriousness she reads loud and clear that he is all in. She finally turns to waiting for Chuck's response who sits there momentarily but then gives her his answer.

"No…" Chuck said shaking his head. "I'm not in." The response leaves a stunned and confused look on not only Sarah's face, but Casey's and Travis' as well. He sees Sarah about to speak up when Chuck reaches over to hold her left hand, leans in, and gives his all-too-familiar Chuckish smile. "I'm all in."

Sarah responds with a smile inevitably leaning in to give Chuck a soft kiss on his lips. The kiss last only for a few seconds and after linger for a few moments giving him a look of love towards him she turns her attention to the front of the car. Its there she sees Casey with a seemingly disgusted, annoyed look and Travis with a hint of a smile on his face as he glances at the both of them.

"Well?" responded Sarah looking intently at Casey.

"Give me a second. I just threw up a little in my mouth." responds Casey as he turns around in his seat.

All 3 team members draw a hint of a smile and shake their head a bit at Casey's response After a brief moment, Casey grips the steering wheel, changes gears, and drives all 4 of them to their intended destination…C.I.A. Headquarters.

XXX

It's a beautiful, sunny day in the Burbank area. The time is around 10 a.m. and the sound of elevator music is heard within a large facility somewhat similar to that of a Wal-Mart. The store known as Costco is bustling with shoppers buying in bulk on whatever their heart's desire. Its within the controlled chaos that Ellie and Cassidy are there to not only purchase supplies for Sarah's birthday party, but have some quality girl talk as well.

"I'm glad Chuck suggested this." said Cassidy as they both walk up the isle with large cart in hand. "Gives us the chance to spend some quality time together just the two of us." she added smiling at Ellie.

"Me too." nodded Ellie.

Cassidy truly wanted to spend some quality time with Ellie. To get one day off to just get away from her hard nosed bitchy business woman side and enjoy the day without worrying about something work related. The business attire she usually adorned were instead replaced by a more dressed down look of white sneakers, acid washed jeans, Gucci belt, a checker pattern sleeveless top, and her hair in a ponytail.

In her mind, it gave her the chance to feel like a normal woman or whatever normal these day is considered these days to be she thought to herself. To her, Ellie personified what being a normal woman is and though she felt a bit intimated by that it didn't stop her from wanting to get to know the woman who would most certainly be her future sister-in-law.

"Can I ask you a question Ellie."

"Sure, what's up?." replied Sarah as she places a couple boxes of spoons and forks in the large cart.

"I never asked how you really felt about my sister lying to your family about who she really is." inquired Cassidy giving a quick glance of concern towards her.

The older Wexler daughter braced herself for the verbal tongue lashing she would receive concerning her younger's sister's deception. In a weird way, she knew how it was going to feel being berated like she does with her own employees with the look of fear in their eyes. However this time, she was talking the bullet on her sister's behalf, which she's done growing but this time its under a different set of circumstances.

"If you're wondering if I was angry, not really." A look of confusion appears on Cassidy's face to which Ellie notices as she places several bags of birthday paper plates in the large car. "I was more surprised than angry to be honest with you."

"Why?"

"If it had been the other way around where the daughter of a wealthy weapons mogul walked into Buy More and took an interest in my brother my old sister intuition would seriously go off." responded Ellie. She notices Cassidy eyebrows furl at the answer causing her to quickly explain herself. "I didn't mean that in a bad way." she adds.

"What do you mean then?"

Mrs. Woodcomb takes a take breathe before giving Cassidy her response. "If Chuck told me that a rich heiress walked into Buy More and asked him out I would have serious concerns. What would immediately pop into my mind is a mean eater such as Paris Hilton using my brother for her own pleasure and just tossing him aside like he was yesterday's news."

"So you're comparing my sister to Paris Hilton is that what you're saying?" responded Cassidy with a more emphatic tone to her voice.

Ellie knows she has to tread lightly and choose her words very wisely because she doesn't want to insult not only her and her sister, but her whole family as well. The last thing she wants is to have atomicity and bad blood to the point where it becomes a Hatfield-McCoy type family feud.

"No, what I'm saying is…" She paused for a brief moment. "…what I'm saying is I'm very protective when it comes to my little brother and after all that he's been through with being kicked out of Stanford, and Jill dumping him for Bryce I wouldn't want him to see him spiral down even more into a place I never want to ever see him ever again.

"My sister isn't Paris Hilton."

"I know that…" responded Ellie with a hint of laughter. "…its just that if you knew the old Chuck when the whole Stanford/Jill/Bryce situation happened and the aftermath you would know that if he got his hopes up only to his heart broken all over again I…"

"You would be a force to reckoned with yeah I get it. You care about your brother so much and don't want to see him hurt." she chimed in finishing what Ellie might possibly would have said. "Yeah…" Cassidy nodded in agreement. "…I would do the exact same thing if a guy did that to DeAnna."

"I'm glad you understand. It's a big adjustment that's all because Sarah…" Cassidy notices the apprehensiveness is Ellie stops in mid sentence.. "…I mean DeAnna is a down to earth, really sweet and caring woman, especially when it comes to Chuck.

Cassidy and Ellie continue to go up and down the isles placing birthday party supplies into the large cart. As they do, Ellie notices that there is something that Cassidy wants to ask her by the brief glances she gives towards her.

"Something on your mind Cass?"

Cassidy is momentarily silent and after a few moments she turns to stand in front of Ellie giving a look of serious curiosity. "Let me ask you this question. Does the fact you know who my sister really is change the whole relationship between the two of you?"

"The truth?" Cassidy gives Ellie a nod to proceed with her answer to where she takes a moment to gather her thoughts. "The truth is I don't care what your sister's name is. Sarah or DeAnna it really doesn't matter to me but what does matter is that my brother is the happiest he has ever been in a long time and I can thank your sister for that." she added.

Cassidy responds with laughter as she pushes the large cart up the isle. "So you don't feel at all betrayed?" wondered Cassidy.

Cassidy glances at Ellie noticing her collecting her thoughts as she reaches over to grab a couple bags of cups off the shelf inevitably placing them on the large cart.

"Honestly, I can understand why she did what she did because there was a time where I wanted to have a completely different life because of my father." Ellie solemnly stated.

"Hey, you were able to finally sit down and talk to him on the reason why he left you, Chuck, and your mom after so many years. You got some much needed closure…" said Cassidy as she turns to and leans in to rub Ellie's arm. "…that should count for something." she added as she reaches over squeezing Ellie's right hand.

"When he showed up at the door with my late step brother Tucker I was left speechless." Ellie said with a look of disbelief on her face. "I couldn't believe he was standing right in front of me after all these years."

If Ellie only knew the real truth she thought to herself. The real truth sounded far fetched even for her but after hearing the whole story from Chuck. It had the makings of a blockbuster movie directed by James Cameron. Abraham Bartowski aka Steven Carmichael a member of an organization named Section 8 had a burn notice placed on him leading him to run leaving behind the family he deeply loves and cares about in order to protect them.

A family torn apart and trying to pick up the pieces the best they know how. Their mother dies and now its just a brother and sister left to take care of each other. Fast forward years later with Ellie as a respected doctor and Chuck a disgraced former student of Stanford betrayed by his best friend Bryce Larkin who is in fact a spy as well. He only had Chuck kicked out in order to protect him from being recruited into the spy game only to become a spy later on.

The organization known as the Sect hunting him down because Abe stumbled upon highly classified information. On the run for years until he shows up on Ellie's doorstep with his step son Tucker Gaines who is in fact a young clone of Josiah Gates. Secret Lighthouse bases, Project Gemini, abductions, her sister joining the C.I.A., and to top it all off finding out her own father is a part of a secret society that has existed for years known as the Zeitgeist.

It was all so unbelievable and yet every word true. All of it intertwining together and yet one thing bugged her. The part where Abe and Chuck making the decision to jump from a cliff only to be saved by the good guys she didn't believe. As much as she sees Chuck as a true blue hero, she didn't think that a guy like him would ever jump from a cliff but then again he did go skydiving as he had the certificate to prove it.

Cassidy became so focused on her thoughts she didn't realize that Ellie was talking to her. It took her only a few seconds to come back to reality and refocus all her attention towards what Ellie was trying to tell or ask her.

"Sorry, kinda spaced out there." Cassidy apologetically said as shaking her head. "What did you say?"

"Don't worry, I have a tendency to do that myself as well." Ellie humorously responded. "What I was trying to say is it all makes perfect sense."

"What makes perfect sense?"

"How your sister can possibly afford a Porsche on a Weinerlicious salary." Ellie chuckles at that particular thought. "The mystery is solved."

"Yup, mystery solved." Cassidy responded with a hint of laughter as well.

She didn't have the heart to tell Ellie that the Porsche was a gift to DeAnna for her sweet 16 birthday party. Cassidy didn't want to give the impression her younger sister was one of those bratty kids on MTV who demanded what they want and if they don't get they whined about it until they do. DeAnna was and continues to be level headed…she's still stubborn and hard headed but that's who she is. Cassidy is once again snapped back to reality by Ellie as she touches her left shoulder.

"Hey, when we're done here we should stop by the florist, get Sarah's favorite flowers, and then go have lunch."

"Sounds like a plan."

"DeAnna love Gardenias. Even as kid she used to grow them in her own garden growing up as a kid."

"Blonde, beautiful, an awesome woman who loves my brother with all her heart, and a green thumb to boot." Ellie smiles and shakes her head in absolute amazement. "Huh, what other secrets and talents does your sister have that I don't know about?

As the two turn the corner pushing the large cart into another isle, Cassidy just smiles silently saying the following the words in her head as they disappear around the corner. _Oh you have no idea._

XXX

The seemingly subdued atmosphere inside the black S.U.V. with all 4 team members exuding a quiet focus. There would be no turning back now and whatever fears if any they have about breaking into a high level government official's office they had to be set aside. As there is no crying in baseball, you can't be afraid when you're going on a very important mission. Its most definitely put up or shut up time.

In the past, the ere of seriousness wouldn't diminish the ability to lighten up the situation due in part to Travis. Travis always brought his iPod along on every mission, which came to the surprise of everyone on their very first mission together as a team. The reason he gave for bringing it was it enabled him to stay relatively relaxed and at the same time gave him the focus to get his head in the game.

The spy couple didn't mind it all as they both had their own way of staying focused during mission that involved being overseas or long flights. Sarah chewed on coffee straws and Chuck read a book while Casey manned the cockpit or driver's seat. When it came to Casey's thoughts on the while Ipod matter he thought it not only juvenile but he considered it an absolute distraction when on the field. Ultimately every person has their way of psyching themselves up before heading into mission so he begrudgingly disregarded it.

The problem wasn't that his iPod was turned too loud or the type of songs he listens to as it was more due to Travis'singing than anything else. It's the type of singing where if Simon Cowell judged him he would immediately be deemed the worst singer in America. It became a constant source of pure entertainment for Chuck and Sarah who would end up laughing but for Casey it would be in his own words inhumane torture.

However, on this occasion the iPod would be turned off, the coffee straw un-chewed, and the book unread. It's a whole new ballgame with even higher stakes and all 4 of them knew that there would absolutely be no room for error. As it has been said many times over, even the tiniest mistake can lead not to just a spy's death but those he or she is assigned to protect as well.

Team Chuck arrives at the gate of C.I.A. Headquarters and after taking time to talk with the guards who were apparently fans of the best team ever formed much to their surprise they were motioned through. A moment or two later they park and inevitably step out of the black S.U.V. meeting up in the back standing side by side. Its at that point Sarah, who is second from the right, quickly turns her head glancing from left to right at her team and then stares straight ahead at the humongous building.

"Let's go." firmly stated Sarah.

Sarah takes the lead with Casey following suit. Travis cracks his neck and then turns to Chuck giving him a quick slap on the left arm before stepping forward himself following Casey. Chuck takes a brief second to take a breathe and before stepping forward to follow Sarah, Casey, and Travis he has one thought…_don't freak out._

XXX

_**NOTE: Hey guys sorry for the delay. I was on vacation for the last month to the Philippines. Anyways, here is part 9 for you and as usual please leave a comment. Read and enjoy!**_


	10. The Calm Before The Storm

Kirk Archer stood just outside the entrance of the run down base of operations that he and his team aptly named The Wolves Den. Its the same exact entrance in which a badly beaten up Langston Graham was escorted into the building by his two henchmen Riker and Sisko. As a matter of fact, he could still see the deep trail marks left within the gravel starting from the vehicle several feet away from him and ending just off to his left.

The rusted hub cap that Graham tried to use as a weapon could barely be seen as it lay flat slightly poking out from the right side of the vehicle. It amused him so to the point where a hint of a smile appears on his face. He thinks to himself that in his very weakened state the old man could even try to defend himself or even attempt an escape knowing how much damage he experienced during that particular ambush.

For any normal human being the accident possibly would have killed that person due to the sheer impact. However, Archer didn't consider Graham a normal human being as he considered him to be absolutely untouchable up until now thanks to the efforts he put forth along with his team. The thought of accomplishing his exploits causes a smirk to appear on his face.

The 4 years of planning had come to fruition he thought to himself. It all became a matter of patience and timing because pulling of a mission that involves capturing the Director of the C.I.A. needed to be accurately precise. A man like Graham would be highly alert being able to sense any kind of danger being the seasoned veteran that he his. He knew that in order to get the better of him he would have to be as crafty as he is.

In a sense, it would be like playing a game of chess against the master and each move made is critical because one wrong move its over. Essentially, it would start off with a small move here, then a well placed move there, and sometimes taking back a move or two, which is considered good sound strategy. It would take an inordinate amount of moves spanning over a 4 and half year period to move all the right chess pieces in place.

Archer spent enough time around Graham to know the way he acts, the way he thinks, and the little idiosyncrasies that made Graham who he is. It became an obsession in studying Graham's every day life to the point where he knew the exact time he went to the bathroom, which made him truly predictable. According to intel, the old man never really deviated from the set pattern giving him the perfect opportunity to surprise him.

In order to know Graham he had to think like him. The disgraced soldier knew that the old man had gotten into the heads of many agents over the past years and yet nobody every really had the cahones to get inside his head. Archer found it quite amusing that in all the years that he has known the old man he has not only been able to instill fear into his underlings, but is also able to continue to pull the strings on his so called puppets.

_I'm no longer one of your puppets_. He thought to himself that Pinocchio has become a real boy and is now in control of his own thoughts, as well as actions. The roles have now been reversed as Gepetto is now the one who has the strings being pulled on him and as much as he wanted to savor the moment he couldn't. He, along with his team, executed a well laid plan in capturing him and now the tough task lay ahead.

The Trial of C.I.A. Director Langston Graham would not just reveal the truth of why he turned his back on someone who he supposedly called his friend, but it would most definitely expose him as the coward he really is. He is going to answers one way or another and when he feels he has those answers the memory of a great man will finally be able to rest in peace.

The word peace didn't have any meaning to him as it was just that…a word. He would never have an ounce of peace knowing that the man who was responsible for Capt. Pike's death is still living. The demons that he has been harboring for so long would finally be exorcised as he would judge, jury, and most assuredly executioner. The time would be at hand for Graham to answer for his crimes.

The former underling of Langston Graham relished the time he has alone because he knows that he would be right back in the mix of things mentally going toe to toe with someone who he considered the best in the business. He hated to admit it to himself but it was true and the fact he almost lost all measure of control last night proved the old man still had what it takes to get you unfocused.

Archer's current meditative state gave him the time to clear his head. The atmosphere seemed right for it as he stood there with his arms crossed taking in the few moments before going back into the structure aptly named the Wolves' Den. As he stood there he became keenly aware of everything around him to the point where he relaxes just enough to let his guard down a bit.

He takes in a deep breathe and then closes his eyes momentarily soaking up the seemingly tranquil surroundings. The feel of the warm sun on his face, a slight breeze coming from his left, the smell of cherries, the sound of trees rustling with a few birds chirping in the nearby vicinity, and off in the distance the faint echo of woodpecker digging into a tree. That wasn't the only thing he feels or hears as he acknowledges the presence behind him.

"What is it?" Archer inquired in a low, seemingly calm tone.

The presence behind him steps out of the shadows and into light revealing it to be Capt. Khan. "We have a situation."

XXX

The pain started off minor and then began to gradually intensify. He feels the painful burning sensation he in every part of his body but where it is felt the most is his head. It pulsated and throbbed to the point where it feels to him as if two loud beating drums going off in his head. He dared to not even try to move his head because any type of movement would cause the drums beating in his head louder.

He thought to himself what he wouldn't give for a bottle of Tylenol at this particular moment. As he lay there, he could make out a few distinct sounds. The sound of dripping water, the air flowing in or out from possibly an undisclosed crackn his cell, and most of all the rusted out springs supporting the bed beneath him. Even in the state he currently was in he was on point and even though he may not have all his faculties at the moment at least he could take into account everything around him.

A sign of a seasoned veteran he thought to himself. He spent much of his life honing his skills as a spy sacrificing everything for the greater good and did not have any regrets whatsoever. He signed up for a cause much greater than himself and if it meant not being able to have any type of life whether it be with friends, family, or a significant other than so be it.

The thought of having a social seemed foreign to him. He had witnessed so many agents in the past be manipulated into betraying their own country because of a loved one being used as a bargaining chip. He didn't want to be that type of agent who not only got himself killed but put the safety of the United States in jeopardy because he wanted love, a family, good friends, a stable life without any danger, or all of the above.

Graham thoughts inevitably towards his best agent Sarah Walker otherwise known as DeAnna Wexler. If he had known he was the daughter of a high profile weapons mogul for the United States he would have immediately denied here entry into Project Omaha.

By knowingly putting herself in a high risk situation she could have very well put the entire safety of the United States at risk. Who knows what might have happened if she had gotten killed in the field and her father Jeremiah Wexler caught of it. We would S.O.L. that where we would be he thought to himself because a distraught father is one thing…a distraught father who is the main military weapons producer is another. That right there is a recipe for disaster because one flip of the switch and its world war 3.

However, it thankfully didn't turn out that way and despite having no choice but to keep Team Chuck together due to her father's threat to cut his funding with the military. Yet, he had to give much respect to them as a team as they have performed exceedingly getting results. As much as he respected them as a team, he couldn't help but be perplexed by his best agent.

He still to this day couldn't understand the choice she made in falling in love with her asset. Her orders were to protect him, nothing more nothing less and to be perfectly honest Sarah is completely out of his league. At first glance, Chuck Bartowski was nothing special working a dead end job going absolutely nowhere in life. He had the making of a bum who had the reputation for being kicked out of Stanford for cheating.

That right there would tell you he would be the least likely candidate to have the intersect in his head. Even though he may have the mental capacity to become a spy, his physical capabilities leave little to be desired. Its unimaginable why Bryce Larkin sent him the intersect in the first place regardless of their prior friendship at Stanford. It was just a bad decision on Larkin's part to even send it to him in the first place.

The relationship between Larkin and Walker was acceptable because they knew when the situation called for it become serious. They always gave nothing less of perfection from both of them even though it didn't go exactly as planned. They both know to keep their personal and professional life separate but when it comes to Sarah and Chuck they couldn't do that giving way to all hell breaking loose.

The number one rule in the spy business is NEVER fall in love. It completely changes the game to the point where not only feelings getting involved but it put the lives of everyone your associated with at risk. She did not just fall in love with her asset, she fell in love with the government's most important piece intelligence they have. To run the risk of having him killed because of personal feelings is totally reprehensible.

In his view, she is and will be Agent Sarah Walker who swore an oath to protect the safety of the United States by any means necessary. It was truly disappointing to see the Sarah Walker he once knew who exuded a emotionless killer instinct at all times disappear only to have her be replaced with someone with emotions that no longer has that killer instinct inside of her.

No point in thinking about the past he thought to himself. Its at that point, he slowly drags his right arm across body towards his head. The excruciating pain he feels over his body would be seen in the grimace in his face as his hand reaches the right side of his head where the injury is located at. In that brief moment, he takes several deep breathes to where Graham slowly opens his eyes.

XXX

"Are you ready?" Sarah calmly asked as she places her hand on the door handle all-the-while looking at Casey, Travis, and Chuck.

All three nod in response leading Casey to add his 2 cents in. "Walker and I will take lead. You two dimwits will follow behind and try not to bring any attention to yourself." ordered Casey as he points at the two of them. "Bartowski I know its going to be hard especially for you." he added giving low grunt.

Chuck just gave him "a now isn't really the best time" flat look towards Casey. However, the flat look he gave would inevitably be replaced by a hint of a smile as Casey turns his head towards Sarah's direction in which he witnesses a glaring look of intense anger like a mother would give her adolescent child who is isn't behaving. The burly NSA agent quickly straightens up and after a brief moment all four stepped through the entrance into the hallowed halls of C.I.A. Headquarters.

Sarah and Casey were pretty much familiar with the building unlike Chuck and Travis who were absolutely amazed at what they were seeing before their eyes. After getting past the security checkpoint, all 4 stood in front of the granite C.I.A. seal measuring 16 ft. in diameter. Chuck knew that the eagle, the shield, and the 16 point compass star has been a long standing C.I.A. symbol for a long time representing strength, alertness, defense, intelligence, freedom and protection.

As a spy, he proudly smiles at the fact that he is part of an organization helping the safety of the Untied State and all those who live in it. As an American with ethics and morals though, he disagreed with certain tactics that were used, he understood what had to be done in order to get the job done. The nervousness and fear that he felt before entering into building gradually subsided. It was that point Chuck felt a hand on his right shoulder.

"Hey…" said Travis as he squeezes his right shoulder. "…we're right here with ya man."

"I know dude."

"It could be worse." Travis amusingly retorted.

"How could it be worse than walking into C.I.A. Headquarters in broad daylight and then breaking into Graham's office." whispered Chuck as the smile that appeared on his face suddenly fell flat.

"Any one of us could be wearing a red uniform."

"What?" responded Chuck in somewhat of a confused state.

"Look, as you know on every away mission in Star Trek there is always a guy who comes with them wearing a red uniform?" Chuck gives a nod in acknowledgement. "Well, he tends to be the one who gets killed and from what I see none of us are wearing a red uniform." said Travis.

Travis had a very logical point he thought to himself. The minor characters, mainly Starfleet security officers and engineers. who wore red uniform shirt tended not only to live short live but ended up dying violently soon after being introduced into a dangerous situation by the main characters themselves. Chuck thought to himself that anyone who joined Starfleet would know by now that being a red shirt is most certainly bad luck.

That well known fact has been made light of on certain tv shows like Family Guy and Robot Chicken. Chuck remembers some time last week where he couldn't sleep and found himself channel surfing in the living room. He ended up settling on to Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network and to one of his favorite shows Robot Chicken. He watched a particular episode of Robot Chicken where a red shirt beems down to a remote along with Kirk, Spock, Bones, and Uhura.

The outcome unfortunately did not play into the favor of the main characters as the red shirt immediately kills all 4 of them after they suggest that he sacrifice himself to save them. He laughed so hard that it not only woke up Sarah but Peaches as well who was sleeping beside her. The laughter however would be something of a positive as Sarah would inevitably be hooked on the show as well. It would be considered another activity they would happily share together.

Anyways, there would be one exception when it involved the unfortunate demise of the red shits and he is the great actor named James Doohan who portrayed the Scottish Starfleet engineer Scotty. Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott to the U.S.S. Enterprise and the only red shirt that has quite possibly lived the longest, which may be a Guinness Book World Record. Enterprise wouldn't have been able to survive without his expertise he thought to himself leading him to bring it up to Travis.

"What about Scotty?" replied Chuck quirking his right brow. "He's the exception when it comes to being a red shirt don't you think?" he added.

"True"

Chuck completely forget where he was as he began mentally sizing up his friend and teammate when it came to Star Trek facts. A surge of excitement ran through his body at the thought of a worth adversary other than Morgan of course concerning Star Trek trivia. He suddenly wondered how much knowledge he truly had in his head giving the opportunity to test him.

"Here's a little known fact that you may not have known. The character of Scotty nearly didn't make it to the show after series creator Gene Rodennberry sent Doohan a letter saying and I quote "We don't think we need an engineer in the series." Chucks stated.

"Please, your talking to a long time Trekker." replied Travis. "Check this out, Doohan was able to keep his job only after his agent intervened on his behalf. Plus, when it came choosing the character's first name he decided on Montgomery in honor of his maternal grandfather, James Montgomery.

"Touché my friend."

"You betta recognize." replied Travis as he holds his fist out for a fist tap to which Chuck reciprocates.

The moment was suddenly interrupted by an annoyed Casey who startles the both of them causing somewhat of a scene but not enough to arouse suspicion. "Hey Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, let's get a move on or do you want to be interrogated by the C.I.A. and trust me they won't be gentle about it." Casey emphatically stated gritting his teeth.

Chuck and Travis quickly hurry in the direction of the elevators where Sarah stands waiting for them. All 4 stand at the elevators and when the doors eventually open several agents step out. The menacing looks on their faces cause Chuck to become nervous and his heart beat faster than usual but that feeling would soon go away as he feels a soft female hand reach over to hold his.

He glances down and then up to see Sarah giving him a reassuring smile causing him to calm down. It seemed like a clown car with all the agents coming out of the elevator. When the crowd of agents finally subsided to where there is nobody left in the elevator all 4 team members step in, turn around with Sarah pressing the button for the 5th floor, and then watch as the doors slowly close in front of them.

XXX

"What's the situation?" inquired Archer with a bit of concern.

"It seems the mission didn't go off perfectly as planned." replied Khan.

"Explain."

"Word is that Graham's best team consisting of Agent Sarah Walker, Agent John Casey, Agent Charles Carmichael, and Travis Riley are in D.C. looking for him."

Archer did not like what he just heard. He has been keeping close tabs on this particular team for quite some time and has been impressed by their track record of getting the job done. However, they wouldn't be able to find him because he did his best to cover their tracks and it would take a miracle to know where their exact location is. He wasn't worried at all but from the look of concern on Khan's face she is for the most part worried.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Positive sir. O'Brien confirmed it twice with our source." responded Khan as she hands him a small piece of paper.

He scans the paper and then immediately turns around crossing his arms. Archer stands there for a moment taking a few breathes as he looks over the seemingly serene view that is before him. He closes his eyes once again going into a sort contemplative state of mind all-the-while tapping the small piece of paper over his lips and tapping it repeatedly with his right finger

As this is happening, Khan is standing behind him wondering what their next move will be. She keenly observed Archer's body language as it seems relaxed instead of tense, which was a far cry from what she witnessed last night. Archer's second in command chalked it up to 5 years of being frustrated and all that frustration came to ahead with him nearly blowing Graham's head completely off.

Khan has never doubted the decisions he has made during her tenure with his team. She has always been there for him through thick and thin standing by him no matter what. It was tough for her to see him being taken away after punching Graham in the face for turning his back on his mentor. It was even tougher to be at his trial and hear the words that he has been dishonorably discharge from the military.

She shook her head a bit knowing that it should have been the other way around. Graham deserved to be where Archer was standing being dishonorably discharged or better yet put behind bars for the crimes he has committed over the years all in the name of the greater good. The man she knew 5 years ago was a very different person than the one who stands before her now.

The personal times she spent with after being dishonorably discharged were different as well. He gradually changed from being open about his past with to becoming completely closed off mentally to her. She worried about so much so that she suggested counseling but he refused. At one in time, she knew what he was thinking but after what happened 5 years he ago its difficult to know for sure what he is even thinking.

When he asked her to be part of this plan she didn't hesitate one bit. The only thing she asked of him was that when it was over she made him promise her to finally leave the past behind. He agreed and now after 5 years she might possibly see that come to fruition. She would not leave his side knowing how close they were…they all were in getting justice for a man they highly respected.

Khan's waved those thoughts away as her focus turns back to Archer who hasn't turned around or said a word for that matter. She feels that enough time has passed to speak up. "What's our next move?" Khan inquired.

Archer opens his eyes and as he does so he crumples the small piece of paper in his right hand. He then slowly turns around to face Khan. For a brief moment he doesn't say a word but then he throws the paper to the side and begins to slowly walk towards Khan who doesn't know what to expect from him. After what seemed like forever, he stands right in front of her.

"We have time on our side so we make each move count." Khan nods in agreement and awaits orders as to what possibly Archer has up his sleeve. "Graham is secure so we don't have to worry about him escaping knowing how badly he's injured." responded Archer.

"So we do nothing?" questioned Khan

"I didn't say that."

"What are you saying then?

"Get O'Brien and tell him we're heading out." ordered Archer. "You two are coming with me."

"Where are we going?" Khan asked with curiosity.

"We are going to pay a visit to our source." Archer turns around and walks back to the spot where he stood before Khan came to inform him about Team Chuck in D.C. "Graham used to tell me whenever he would brief me on an upcoming mission to be weary of the calm before the storm so just to be on the safe side we may need all the fire power we can get our hands on."

XXX

_**NOTE: I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter especially after watching vs. The American Hero monday. Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and leave a comment.**_


	11. Red Alert!

Its eerily quiet in the halls of the 5th floor where Graham's office is located. A total of three hallways forming a T shape lay in front of the elevator. The air circulating within the halls is at a nice comfortable temperature to perform an illegal break in. The seemingly slick linoleum tiled floor that lays before it reflects the row of white florescent lights that hang overhead illuminate the hallways.

The hall on the left leads not only to a dead end, but there sitting at the end is a big potted plant. The hall to the right of the elevator leads to a door with the a sign above reading the words EXIT glowing in red. A few feet from the door hangs a white box with a glass door casing and within it rests a red fire extinguisher. The seemingly quiet calm that embraced the halls were suddenly replaced by the sound of dinging elevator.

The doors to the elevator open leading Sarah and Casey to step out. They both are on point as they cautiously do a quick scan in all three directions to check if the area is secure. When they find its secure they motion an all clear to Travis and Chuck who cautiously step out of the elevator as well. All 4 team members quietly move forward down towards their intended location, which is the 2nd office door number1701 at the end of the hall.

After a few moments they reach 1701. They press against the wall next to the door with Casey and Sarah on the left side while Chuck and Travis flanked the right side. Much to their surprise they find it unlocked. Casey slowly opens the door as he does it makes a creaking sound. Its just loud enough for someone down the hall to possibly hear causing all for team members looking intently down the hall towards the elevator.

Chuck found himself holding his breathe. As he looked up the hall his heart begins to race and his palms begin to sweat. After a few intense minutes, no one appeared causing him let out a deep sigh of relief turning his attention back towards the door. Casey slowly opens the door scanning the dimly lit room all-the-while letting his eyes adjust to the change in lighting. It only takes a couple of seconds for his eyes to adjust and from his viewpoint he finds no presence of anyone inside.

He turns his head towards Sarah, Chuck, and Travis who is in somewhat of a crouching position keeping a watchful eye down the hall in order to alert the others if he hears anyone approaching. Casey motions an all clear and all 3 of them file in as quickly as they can with the NSA agent to last to enter. He sticks his head doing a quick scan down the hall and then enters back in slowly closing the door making sure it doesn't make any kind of sound.

Casey joins the rest of his team who are congregating in front of the secretary's desk. When he walks up he finds Chuck bent over with both hands on his knees breathing out heavily but in a quiet as can be manner. He is thoroughly amused by this leading him to take out his small portable flashlight from his left back pocket and whispers his name.

"Hey Bartowski."

At the same time he says that, he turns the flashlight on as Chuck looks up directly into the light causing him to be momentarily blinded. Chuck stumbles back hitting the front of the secretary's desk causing the items on it to fall down both on the desk and on to the floor. The sound of falling items alert Sarah and Travis who turn to see Chuck stumbling to where they quickly come to his aid grabbing him as he is about to fall down on the floor.

They notice Casey holding a flashlight as they guide him to a nearby couch a foot away from the desk and lower him as gently as they can on to it. "You ok buddy?" asked Travis? "Quick, how many fingers am I holding up." he added raising 3 fingers up.

The tall, lanky man with curly brown hair sits there for a few seconds trying to get rid of the spots that he's seeing. As he does, he looks up with his left eye closed trying to focus on the number of fingers Travis is holding up. "Two." he responded.

"Close enough." said Travis patting Chuck on his right shoulder.

After few minute of intermittent rubbing with his palms and repeated squinting/blinking, his eyesight returns to normal. He glances back and forth from Sarah to Travis. "I'm fine no thanks to Casey." he stated pointing in his general direction.

Sarah turns to see Casey somewhat illuminated by the small flashlight he's holding in the dark in a downward position. He has an amused look plastered on his face as he stands there a few away from where Sarah, Travis, and a seated Chuck are. After assessing that Chuck is fine, she turns her attention towards the man who caused the incident and walks over to him with a purpose.

"Casey!" she emphatically stated in a quiet manner slapping Casey's left arm with the back of her right hand.

"What?" responded Casey with a tone and look of complete innocence on his part.

Sarah gives Casey a stern look as she points her finger at him. "Turn off the flashlight!" she stated intently. She glances back at Chuck who is now standing up. She gives another glaring look towards the burly NSA Agent who gives a begrudging grunt as he turns off his flashlight. The blonde agent heads towards Graham's door and when she reaches it she turns the knob only to find it locked.

She takes out her lock pick kit and before attempting to unlock the door Sarah turns back towards Casey. "Casey, get over hear and give me some light." she quietly whispered."

"You tell me to turn it off, now you want me to turn it back on." he said quietly shaking his head. "Make up your mind Walker."

"Casey!" she quietly whispered with emphasis.

Casey begrudgingly in a huff walks over to Sarah who has knelt down positioning herself in front of Graham's doorway. He gives a low grunt and then switches on his flashlight giving his partner enough light to work her magic. She places the lock picks into the doorknob adjusting them to find the right angle in order to hear absolute success. It only takes a matter of seconds for her to unlock it and after a giving off a hint of smile she opens the doors.

She briefly glances back at all 3 men in front of the open doorway. "Let's get to work." she said standing up.

XXX

"Where do we start?" Travis inquired standing in the doorway. "Better yet, what are we trying to find for that matter?" he added as they enter Graham's office.

Sarah heads over to Graham's desk switching on the combination desk lamp/pencil holder/post it note holder sitting at the upper left side corner of the side. Now that they have some light to work with she can clearly see Chuck, Casey, and Travis standing in front of her. "We…" she emphasized. "…are going to look for anything that will give us a lead on Graham's whereabouts." Sarah then points directly at Travis. "You are going to be positioned at the doorway and alert us if anyone approaches got it." the blonde beauty added.

Travis knew this wasn't the time for witty comebacks or funny quips. He had already witnessed Casey get in trouble for pulling a childish prank on Chuck temporarily blinding him with his flashlight and got away with just a slap on his arm. Sarah meant business and from the look of seriousness on her face at that very moment he didn't want to get on her bad side.

"Affirmative."

"Bartowski, get into Graham's computer and check his hard drive for any files that may give us information concerning Archer." quietly barked Casey. "Walker and I will rifle through his drawers to see if there is any additional information we can find that may help us.

Chuck hurries over and sits in Graham chair. _Wow, Graham is a big man._ He finds it quite impressive in regards to the size of it compared to his skinny stature. On the other hand, he commended him on his taste in chairs as he briefly felt the upholstered leather. As he sat there for a moment, he couldn't help but feel considerably powerful sitting behind his desk.

Yet, at the same time, he feels like a little kid sitting there somewhat like legendary actor Clint Howard who portrayed the memorable character of a young childlike being named Balok. It was kind of ironic in a way that an iconic Star Trek character such as Balok and Graham were similar in nature. They both use intimidation tactics against possible potential enemies with Balok it was Enterprise and with Graham it has been primarily enemies both foreign, as well as domestic.

He shakes those thoughts out of his head and commences search Graham's computer for anything pertinent. He reaches over towards the mouse pad and moves it all-the-staring at the computer screen. Much to his surprise the director didn't log out and though slightly disappointed he wouldn't be able to figure out a way around the password by way of a back door into his computer, it easily gave him the perfect opportunity to sift through his hard drive.

As Chuck focuses on Graham's computer, Sarah and Casey rifle through his drawers, which is neatly organized. They find the usual essentials when it comes to items in top drawers of a desk like pencils, paper clips, pens, a hole puncher, and several yellow legal notepads. There are 4 in total with the top one with several pages of writing on them. After closer inspection Sarah finds its just notes scribbled down pertaining to a meeting between he and General Beckman last night.

"Find anything you guys?" quietly hollers Travis from the doorway.

Chuck turns his head looking towards Travis as he continues typing away at Graham's computer. "So far, I'm coming up empty Trav." he quietly hollered back. Chuck then turns his attention to Casey who is looking through Graham's rolodex and doesn't find anything relevant that would be considered helpful other than numbers to high profile government officials. "How about you Casey?"

"I got nothing." grunted Casey.

Sarah, meanwhile, finds several red manila folders from a locked bottom drawer. She takes them out, placing them on a nearby table located a few feet from the desk. She opens them up carefully scanning each folder's contents one by one. Unfortunately, she did not have any information pertaining to the situation at hand causing her to breathe a sigh of absolute frustration.

"Its got be here somewhere." she silently said to herself. Sarah stands up, turns, and looks straight at Casey who continues rummaging through Graham's drawers. She quietly hollers over to The NSA agent who stops what he's doing and turns his head to see what she wants. "Casey, check for a safe. I think he would put highly classified information either in a floor or wall safe."

Sarah and Casey commence searching the walls and floors for any sign of a safe as Chuck continues to search Graham's computer. Chuck glances over to see how their progress when he notices something on the floor just off to the left side of his chair. He picks it up and after carefully inspection he sees that it's a small seemingly wall size picture of two people causing his eyes to bug out. Chuck surmises that when Sarah pulled out those red manila folders the picture fell out. How the picture got in there is an unknown.

He quickly gets up from Graham's chair and is about to get Sarah's attention when Travis suddenly starts frantically waving his hands around like a mad man getting the attention of Chuck. "Red Alert!" he quietly hollered towards Chuck.

Travis motions to everyone he hears not only the sound of the elevator but someone stepping out inevitably heading in their direction. The newest member to Team Chuck quietly shuffles over to the door placing himself against the wall to the right of the door. He hears a succession of footsteps echoing outside in the hall. Travis immediately looks over to see all 3 of his teammates with standing there frozen in the doorway.

XXX

Graham's secretary, Christine Chapel, walks down the linoleum hallway carrying her black purse on her left shoulder while holding a Starbucks coffee cup in her right hand. heading towards her office. Her wardrobe that also matches the color of her purse consists of a dark pantsuit with a light blue top underneath her jacket. Chapel's shoulder length blonde hair flows freely as it leads down to her white pearl necklace.

The make-up she has on her face is simple yet elegantly professional, especially working in an environment al about information and secrecy. Each step she takes on the hard linoleum floor echo throughout the entire 5th floor. She takes a sip of her Starbucks bought coffee as she calmly walks with an ere of stone cold confidence that is expected of a woman who has assisted a high ranking government official for over 25 years.

Graham's abduction had been the topic of conversation all throughout the morning. Chapel found out about her bosses' abduction from a friend of hers who works as a secretary for General Beckman. The news of his capture apparently didn't effect her being that she's first and foremost a professional who oftentimes kept on a need to know basis when situations like these happen.

Its business as usual even when its someone you personally know she thought to herself. She became accustomed to hearing about agents either disappearing, being abducted, or worse dead. That's part of the business and if you're not mentally, physically, or even emotionally cut out of it then you shouldn't be in the C.I.A. As cruel and heartless as that sounds, it's the down and out truth because you truly have to have the right mindset for this business.

A business where you deal with real monsters who have no conscience, don't play fair, and will torture/kill you for pleasure. She lost count on how many letters she has sent out informing loved ones on the death of their mother, father, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, nephew and/or niece. In the beginning of her career, it became truly disheartening to send those letters but after a while it just became just another letter to send to another family.

In her own view, she didn't see agents both past and present as people with families, friends, or whatever the case may be. She saw them as simply trained killing machines who were taught to obey orders no matter what. If one died then another would take his or her place. It's a constant rotation of agents who are alive one minute and end up dead the next. She remembers Graham making the comment that evil doesn't let you take time to mourn.

When it comes to the evils of the world like Bin Ladin and insane dictators such as South Korean President Kim Jung IL and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejadyou have to always be on guard even when you're dealing with the causalities of not only agents but soldiers as well. You just have to suck it up, say a prayer, wipe the tears away, and continue to play hardball.

There have been countless agents who she has observed sitting across from her who she thought didn't meet to her standards as an agent. She's always the one who would meet them first and seeing for herself their demeanor while waiting to see the man who would play a key role in their professional spy career. After years of doing that for so long she could tell who had it and who absolutely didn't.

Over the years she's witnessed fresh agents just out of "The Farm" regardless of their gender sitting across from her biting their fingernails, checking their watch every 5 seconds, experience the nervous leg syndrome or just have difficulty just sitting still. Those were the agents she thought and felt weren't ready for the field but she kept that to herself because it wasn't her job to talk them out of being an agent.

Essentially, her job primarily consisted of making the atmosphere comfortable for the agents so they won't freak out. She would make small talk, as well as flash a reassuring smile every once and while in order the tension they may possibly be feeling. It became routine to the point where she felt like a mother calming a child down before they have a long talk with their father.

For most of the kids she's seen and the emphasis is on kids they were oftentimes a product of broken homes. As the secretary of the Director of the C.I.A., you have to be up-to-date on every agent's personal file leading you to read their past history. A history that is full of disappointment and heartbreak. Yet, every agent possibly has a story of utter heartbreak to where they make the decision to join C.I.A.

For some agents, they were running away from the past while others simply signed up to become a patriot defending the country that they love, which is considered a very noble cause. She truly respected those young agents who gladly put their lives on the line in the field around the world all for the greater good as they put their trust in the hands of man who she also respected.

As she arrives at in front of the office door, Chapel standing there for moment staring at it. She thinks to herself that she doesn't have to be here. She can stay home and sleep the day away or possibly run errands but that isn't what she ended up doing. Chapel came to work because in her mind she wanted to keep busy and in a way show Graham that she is dedicated employee. Its at that point, she takes a deep breathe and slowly turns the knob.

XXX

All 4 members of Team Chuck tense up as they hear the door knob turn leading to 4 very different reactions. Sarah immediately looks over at Chuck who is against the wall in Graham office silently freaking out. She attempts to clam him down by holding his left hand with her right and a somewhat reassuring smile to show they are in this together making the potential arrest considerably easy to bear.

Travis, who is pressed up against the wall next to the front is glancing back and forth waiting for any kind of signal from either Sarah or Casey on their next move. Casey, on the other hand, does the only logical thing and brandishes seemingly out of nowhere a tranq gun aiming it directly at the front door leading to a silent argument from the blonde against standing next to him.

"What are you doing!" she quietly hollered over to her partner. "Put that away!"

"She's not going to know what hit her Walker." he grunted back.

"Have you considered the possibility that there could be more out there?" she emphatically replied. "You tranq her and somebody else witnesses it we're dead in the water!"

As the silent argument continues, Travis frantically waves his arms like a mad man once again trying to get some type of signal on what to do. He suddenly stops when the door begins to slowly open leading everyone in the room to stop arguing and completely focus their attention on the front office door. The room itself is filled with so much tension you could easily cut it with a knife.

Casey is resting against the doorway with his arms extended aiming the tranq gun straight at the doorway. He anticipates knocking Chapel out as he his finger slowly moves towards the trigger. Its at this point, every one holds their breathe as the door slowly begins to open causing Sarah to tighten her grip on Chuck's hand, Travis to hug the wall even more, and Casey to exude a look of eager anticipation awaiting the opportunity to shoot someone even it is to just harmlessly knock her out.

Chapel has the door open just a tad when she suddenly hears a voice call out her name from up the hall. "Ms. Chapel, how are you today ma'am?"

She turns her head to see that it's the senior custodian manger that runs the clean up service within the building. A man in his mid to late 60's with a full head of grey hair, wearing a brownish jumpsuit, and orthopedic shoes. The man's demeanor is one of a lively old man with childlike exuberance as he walks over with a smile on his face as he pushes a cleaning cart towards Chapel's.

"Hey Ben." she politely responded.

Benjamin McCoy has been employed as a custodian for the C.I.A. for many years. He worked his way through the ranks from lowly intern to the title of senior custodian manger giving the power to be in charge of a crew of his own. He and Chapel practically started at the same time and they pass each other in the halls or wherever striking up a conversation. They became friends and have been friends ever since.

Chapel closes the door in front of her and walks towards him causing Team Chuck to not only breathe out a big sigh of relief, but gives them time to quietly clean up the mess they made. Even though Casey didn't get to shoot someone evident by the look of utter disappointment on his face he would undoubtedly get his chance soon as he would most have his time to be unleashed.

"Shame about Graham." he somberly stated shaking his head in disbelief. "Took him just like that." he added snapping his fingers.

"He'll be back." she responded with certainty.

"How do you know for sure?" the elderly man inquired scratching the top of his head.

"Beckman sent her best team to go find him and I was informed they are in D.C. as we speak." she answered with a half smile. "I know they are doing whatever it takes to find him.

No truer words have ever been said and little did Chapel know that Beckman's best time was in fact several feet away making sure their presence an unknown. After several minutes of small talk, Ben and Chapel part ways giving each a friendly wave. As the elevator closes with Ben and his cart, Chapel walks back to the office once again. She opens the door, steps in, and turns on the light all in one fell swoop.

She walks over placing her purse and coffee on the organized desk that was at one point disorganized because of Chuck backing into after being blinded by a flashlight by Casey. The secretary notices that a small bottle of white out in the middle of her desk. She picks it up and as she looks at it she cocks her right eyebrow up. She stands there in front of her desk wit one hand resting on her chair that is pushed not only under the desk, but also on Travis as well who is pressed up tightly against it underneath.

Chapel shrugs it off and places it back on the upper right hand corner of her desk. She is about to take off her coat when she notices a light shining from underneath Graham's office door. Her curiosity gets the better of her as she cautiously walks over to the door placing her hand on the doorknob. She opens the door to his office and finds the room not only empty but nothing untouched. The only thing out of the ordinary is Graham's desk lamp that is switched on.

She walks over in front of Graham's desk and gently touches the switch of the lamp. She stands there for a moment scanning all around the room and then back to the lamp. In her mind, Graham must have left it on that night after she left because he would be returning from dinner and the have a meeting with Beckman. That was the last time she saw him and with that she turns it off.

As she is about to head out and close the door behind her sensing nothing is out of the ordinary, she suddenly hears something. Its faint and yet distinct like a low sounding vibration of some sort resonating from one particular area. She slowly turns pushing the door wide open and scans the room once again. Chapel walks over to her desk, rifles through her purse, takes out a gun, and then slowly creeps into the office. She heads towards the vicinity of the scene where she heard the sound…the desk where Chuck is currently hiding_._

XXX

_**NOTE: I'm find myself on a roll right now writing wise. Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave a comment and tell what you think.**_


	12. Plumbling and Blockage

Graham lay there on the dusty cot eyes wide open. The pounding headache he was currently experiencing gave him a unfortunate distraction from being hold up all alone in a musty cell. As he lay there, gently feeling the dried blood stained injury to the side of his head he reflects on what he could remember concerning last nights event in which he got pistol whipped…hard.

There have been countless times he had been pistol whipped during his younger days as a field agent he thought to himself. It would usually be a quick shot oftentimes to the back of the head to the point where either a swift kick or punch to the face would have him knocked completely out. However, the force that Archer hit him was something that he never experienced before.

The hit itself was primarily based on pure emotion and he most definitely felt every bit of it. You can never really prepare for the hit that you know is coming he silently says to himself. For the most part, an agent hopes its done so fast you knocked out instantly but when it came to his experience with Archer he waited for it and it was just a matter of not knowing at what particular point he'll inflict the damage.

He thinks back on last nights events and doesn't have any regrets whatsoever on the decisions he made of pushing Archer to the breaking point. To some people, it would be considered outright insanity to do so to the point where you're narrowly escape from getting your head blown completely off. Luckily for him, his former protégé is still an excellent pinpoint marksmen or he would not only be a few inches shorter but dead as well.

His innate ability to get the best out of people, in a negative way of course, would be a character trait he's quite superb at perfecting it over the years. The seasoned veteran knew how to get someone completely unfocused as it involved always finding the perfect opening in order to silently slip in like a ninja and mentally work from the inside out. Once you know you have the targeted mark locked in its just a matter letting him/her do all the work as you press on the tactic of antagonization.

From his past experience, you have to know when to push forward and when to pull back because too much can get you killed. In a sense, it like having a catch of lifetime at the end of your fishing pole and you know you can't just real it in straight on or you'll end up with a snapped fishing line. You have to pull back and then ease up because if you ask any experienced fisherman they'll tell you to let the big fish tire itself out.

What it primarily comes down to is patience. An agent has to gradually reel him or her until you know finally got him hook, line, and sinker. Graham thinks back to early days fresh out of the academy and in the field where he made absolutely stupid mistakes as he attempted to bait a mark. Stuttering, showing signs of sweat, not keeping direct eye contact were just some of the mistakes he made early on that he would like to forget.

However, its his past experiences that would become a teaching tool to potential agents. He really didn't care whether or not he was liked or disliked because it wasn't considered a popularity contest. If he left this world at the hands of an enemy or preferably by old age, he would know that the knowledge he has would benefit the up and coming agents in the future.

The battered and bruised director shook those thoughts from his head and begins focusing all of his efforts to sit up on the bed. _You can do this._ He keeps repeating it over and over in his mind in order to not only psyche himself up but experience the pain that he's surely is going to endure once he tries. Graham readies himself grabbing the a handful of the dusty, musty bed sheets and attempts to slowly lift himself up with his elbows.

His first attempt causes him to grimace in pain as he growls out a relatively high audible grunting hiss to deal with the excruciating pain emanating from his upper torso. He lays there once again taking in several deep breathes and as he does so a look of determination is seen on face. He readies himself for the pain he's about to feel and at that very moment he makes the attempt to lift himself up.

The pain he's feeling is unbearable as he struggles to lift himself. Both of arms are shaking tremendously but Graham's resolve is unbroken as he grits his teeth fighting through the pain. The grip he has on the dirty, musty blanket underneath him inevitably turns to the side of the rusty bed as he quickly grabs it with his with his right hand. He feels the pain double as he twists his upper body in order to move his left arm over to the right so that he can lift himself to a sitting position.

It takes a while but his efforts pay off. He is sitting upright but slumped forward and off to the right a bit to the point where he looks as if he could possibly fall over to side on to the cold, wet, damp cell floor below. Thankfully that did not happen and as he sits there trying to catch his breathe after such a tumultuous endeavor. Its at this point, he strains to briefly glance behind him and then begins the process of pushing, as well as pulling himself against the dingy cell wall.

It's a slow go of it but after a few pain staking minutes he gets to his intended destination. He lays back against the cell wall, head up, breathing heavily and eyes closed with a hint of a victorious smirk on his face. His right arm is draped over his stomach, which is quite possibly the one area of his body that isn't injured. After taking several more breathes, he slowly lowers his head all-the-while opening his eyes in order to scan the area he is in.

He sees the sink off to his right and immediately thinks to himself that he needs to get cleaned up. He feels once again the injury to the left side of his head and at the same time checks his hand to see if there is any sign of bleeding, which there are none. He can't help but chuckle a bit at his plight shaking his head in the process and when he looks up, there is one questions that comes to his mind…_where are my shoes?_

XXX

Christine Chapel slowly creeps over to Graham's desk where she hears the sound of a low vibration. She's brandishes a Walther P99 semi-automatic pistol and slowly moves forward with her arms fully extended. She shifts to her right with her concentration still focused on Graham's desk. As she does so, Chuck is frantically trying to get to Iphone in order for it to stop buzzing but the small cramped space along with Graham's chair pinned against him hinders him for doing so.

After frantically fumbling around in the darkness for a few seconds, he finally takes it out. He quickly sees that its Morgan who is calling him and immediately cancels the call. _You're calling me at a really bad time buddy._ The timing of it all made matters worse knowing that they could be caught and his worst fears would come to light as they would face a sentence of 10 years in prison.

How would he explain this to Ellie, Devon, Morgan, the gang from Buy More or whoever else he crossed paths. They would turn on the news to find the man they either grew up with, worked with, or was in a past relationship with is arrested for breaking into the Director of the C.I.A.'s office. It would most definitely be hard to explain, especially to Ellie who would more than anything be absolutely shocked.

Ellie has been the one person who he didn't want to ever lie to but he had in order to protect not only her, but his family and friends. Chuck thinks to himself how close they have become since their mom passed away and gotten even more closer since their father passed away. She was always the one who he could confide in when he needed someone to talk to.

Of course, the times he needed to talk involved spy business but he would try his best to word it in a way that it concerned work or relationship advice. In the beginning, it was considerably difficult to lie to her being that he felt absolutely guilty afterwards. Yet, as time past it somehow became easier to lie to her, which sounded really wrong in his head causing him to exude a look of disbelief.

He had to give Ellie her due because she has been the one that stood by him ever since Stanford. The pain, disbelief, and anguish in her voice when she gave her the unfortunate news of being kicked out of Stanford because of cheating was considered one of the worst days of my life. However, instead of giving accusing him if he actually did, she was and still continues to be supportive sister that he's known to love her as.

Chuck knew one day that he will have to tell her about being spy preferably when he's old and wrinkly with his spy days behind him. It would be one of those stories in which it be at a Bartowski/Woodcomb family reunion where the both of them have some alone time and the conversation would start out with did I ever mention I was a spy sis. Unfortunately, knowing his sister he would probably get beat up for revealing the truth to her and end up trying to apologize to her.

On the bright side though, nobody would believe her because who would believe an elderly woman spouting off about her elderly brother being a spy. Any sane person in their right mind would consider you insane and would need to take medication in order to squash those delusions. However, there would be one person who he thought would possibly believe him and as much as he has been his friend for so long he didn't know how he could actually process all that information in his head.

Morgan Grimes is considered the wild card in all this. When or if he ever found out about his secret he wouldn't know how he would react. To lie to your own best friend would be considered a breach in the bro code and to be perfectly honest Chuck didn't think he could handle the news. The man who he has grown up with could very well experience an overload to his fragile brain.

Thinking about it though, Morgan is and has always been the furry little bearded Spock to his Captain Kirk. Their friendship has always seemed very illogical to well basically everybody who has ever crossed paths over the years. On one side you have a guy portrays Spock like qualities of an aloof, at times lonely and always misunderstood alien fitting Morgan to a T.

When it came to himself he didn't feel like he had the cowboy in space type bravado and masculine ego to match befitting a starship captain named James Tiberius Kirk but Sarah would disagree with that. From her point of view, she sees every bit of those qualities in him and more because like Captain Kirk he somehow draws people to him both in a negative and positive way.

Thinking about it further, Chuck's own situation in the spy world somewhat parallels that of the iconic space captain. When it comes to the seriousness that is the spy word, he tended to isolate himself from the fears that the people he cares about/loves/respects are his weakness and if they were to be caught to be used as bargaining chips he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

In a sense, the self imposed attachments he places on certain relationship makes him feel more of an alien like Spock than a human like Kirk. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Graham's chair suddenly is removed and from his vantage point there stands in its place black pants and finely shined back high heels. Its at that point, he sees not only the barrel end of the gun, but hears the sound of the female voice standing in front of him.

"Step out from under the desk now." ordered Chapel in a stern authoritative voice.

XXX

It took some time and now wearing what used to be dry socks on his feet he painfully stands at the rusted metal sink washing his face. As he stands there, he tries his best to alleviate the pain he's feeling in his left leg by putting all the weight on his right side providing him some much needed relief. For its the same left leg that became hit the driver's side door during the ambush.

The suit jacket that he's wearing is thrown on the bed behind him as he uses the time he has to clean himself up. He uses his left hand for main support propping himself up on the rusted metal sink while using the other to inevitably clean the gash he suffered hitting his head against the driver's side window the previous night. Hey, if I go out I want to look my best he thinks amusingly thinks to himself.

Graham exhales with a amusement and then glances down to turn the faucet on. He expects to hear the sound of flowing water as he stares into the mirror in front of him that has accumulated dust, mildew, and grime over a span of 5 years. What he instead hears is sound of nothing but what seems to be a clogged sink causing him to become highly aware of what is about to happen.

He knows all-too-well how water and whatever is clogging the pipes is about to shoot out from the faucet leaving him not only drenched, but stinky as well. Graham hobbles back away from the small blast area waiting for a few seconds until eruption time. He leans with his right shoulder against the cell wall alleviating the weight from his left side to his right giving him some much needed relief once again.

The man's instincts were indeed correct as the water and whatever mixed in spewed out of the faucet with such force it splashed outwardly in sort of a starburst pattern nearly hitting him in the process. The signs were simple enough to spot being that he's after all the son of a plumber. A plumber who not only ran his own business in the south side of Chicago, but had several employees working for him including a young Langston Graham.

The young Langston Graham would be the only child of Moses and Thelma Graham who stressed upon their the son the meaning of good old fashioned hard work in order to be successful instead of being a gang banger who used drugs or worse committed crimes that possibly ended up in jail. His parents did their best to shield him from that type of world and instilled him to never go for the easy path.

Moses Graham, a blue collar and not mention hard working man, busted his butt in order to provide for his family. Graham's father was a pillar of the community and a well respected figure amongst his peers in the ole' neighborhood. The people in his neighborhood considered him a tough and yet honest business man who gave them a fair deal. Although he looked tough on the outside, he was in fact a big teddy bear inside who loved to joke around as well.

The senior deacon of his church and a volunteer in the neighborhood watch program Moses always kept busy. He was never the type to sit back and relax because in his own thinking that there is always something to do or needs fixing. It would be a character trait Langston Graham would most definitely inherited and would teach new agents in his own way and style to his agents.

His mother, on the other hand, is and continues to be the glue that holds the family together. A member of her church choir and working part time in the children's nursery she kept the Langston men in line. If he considered his father the proverbial Colonel of the family, then his mother would be undoubtedly the General. Even though he was her only son, she didn't baby him one bit and he was grateful for that.

In any case, as far back as he can remember, his father was strict and at the same time fair. He disliked the words "I can't" and he never wanted to ever hear the words "I quit" uttered from anyone lips including from his own son. He always preached like his father before him that if you have the ability to stand then you know how to work and he didn't care how old you are as long as you can earn your keep.

From the time he was 8 to 15 years of age, he spent helping out his mother in and out of the house, as well as with his father doing odd jobs like stacking boxes, helping with the inventory, or whatever responsibilities were given to a young kid. However, when Graham grew into his older teen years from 16-18 years of age and was able to drive, he worked there immediately after school was over receiving a steady paycheck to pay for the usual things such as gas, food, and the occasional date.

Graham joined the military soon after graduating high school with the support of both his parents. His military career would inevitably lead him to apply to "The Farm" and the rest they say is history. He owed everything to his mother and father, especially to his father who unfortunately passed away several years ago. He attended the funeral and was along side his mother every step of the way.

The responsible son continues to sends her mother money to help with the bills at home and with the business. His father's assistant manger, Carl Jenkins, now runs things and so far he has been doing an excellent job at it. If he didn't and there was any dirty dealings like selling his father's business he worked so far to someone for profit then he would have to pay a visit to Mr. Jenkins not only as a concerned son, but as a government agent as well.

His thoughts turn from his parents back to the sink in his cell. He slowly limps over to it with his right arm extended supporting him up until he reaches the sink and holds himself up with his left arm. He sees that the water has now become clear after letting it run for a few minutes. Graham takes one last look in the mirror, looks down to cup his right hand with water, and then bends down a bit to commence washing his face.

XXX

The sight of a gun pointed right at him freaks Chuck out. He didn't hear Chapel's order the first time to step from under Graham's desk because he was too busy focused on the gun staring directly at him. He just sits there underneath Graham's desk holding glancing back from his Iphone to the gun still pointing at him. After a brief moment of silence, he hears her voice again giving the exact same order.

"Whoever you are, step out now or do you want to get shot?" Chapel emphatically stated.

Chuck immediately responds. "Ok…" Chuck frantically responded. "…I'm out I'm out don't shoot." he added as he crawls out from beneath the desk.

Chapel backs up a few feet with her gun trained on him. As she sees him crawl out inevitably stand with his back to her, she orders the perpetrator to not only place his phone on the table and slowly turn around but also not make any sudden movements. She sees him cooperate with all that she says placing his phone on Graham's desk and then begins slowly turning around.

As Chuck turns around, he feels as if his heart is about to explode. All sorts of thoughts are racing within his mind but the one thought that keeps repeating over and over is to not make any sudden movements or he may end up getting shot. He thinks to himself being shot once is enough for him even though he was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time but unfortunately he isn't wearing one right now.

"Agent Carmichael?" Chapel said in total disbelief as Chuck faces her. "Why are under Graham's desk but more important why are you in his office?" she added raising her weapons directly at him.

"Hi…yeah…to answer question…" Chuck knows that whenever he gets nervous he's begins to babble causing him to do just that. "…and I must say there's a perfectly logical explanation."

The tone in Chapel's voice is more agitated. "Spit it out then Agent Carmichael." The tone in Chapel's voice becomes more agitated at how Chuck is responding to her.

"Okay…ummm…guys anytime now!" he frantically stated calling out the rest of his team.

Chuck's request would be soon answered as Sarah and Casey emerge from Graham's office bathroom immediately standing on either side of Chuck training their weapons straight at Chapel with Travis placing himself at the doorway doing the exact same thing. It ultimately becomes a one sided standoff as Chapel sees herself at an utter disadvantage but steels herself by not lowering weapon that is currently aimed at Chuck.

"Agent Walker and Casey what is your team doing in the Director's office." she inquired furrowing her eyebrows. "You do know what you're doing is illegal and all of you can face prison for this."

"We do and this is the only way we know to find him." Sarah replied.

"This is insanity Agent Walker. There could have been other alternatives, other means of utilizing your team's efforts in locating Director Graham." she firmly stated. "What you and the rest of your team are doing is grounds for arrest on the grounds of treason."

"I should have shot her with a tranq dart when I had the chance." grunted Casey.

"Shut up Casey!" responded Sarah as she quickly glances at Casey.

As this is going on, Chuck stands in the crossfire scared stiff. He directs his eyes towards Travis standing in the doorway who gives him a nod to indicate that everything is going to be all right. Its at this point, he feels his legs starting to shake and tries his very best to not let his legs buckle causing him to get prematurely shot in the process. He suddenly makes the stupid decision to speak up.

"Can I say something?"

"No!" responded Sarah, Casey, and Chapel in unison.

"To think…" She pauses giving off a look of disappointment on her face. "…I had faith in you…of all you to do whatever it took to find him but to do something like this is totally unbelievable." said Chapel expressing a mixture of anger and disappointment in her voice.

Sarah briefly lets what she says sink in and then responds. "We are doing whatever it takes to find him and right now you're the obstacle that is keeping us from doing it. So please, let us do our job." she emphatically stated towards Chapel.

"I can't do that…" Chapel pauses and then picks up the phone next to the Graham's computer." "…its my job to turn all 4 of you in." she added dialing a number.

"Wait! Wait! Hold On! Wait! Wait!" suddenly screamed Chuck.

"Chuck!" retorted Sarah staring at Chuck.

"Shut up moron!" growled Casey.

"Casey you shut up!" The response Chuck gives doesn't sit well with Casey as he turns to see a very angry look on his face "Yeah yeah, kill me later and Sarah I know what I'm doing…" Chuck nervously said. "…I hope." he added under his breathe.

Chapel still has the phone in her hand when her attention is focused on Chuck. "What is it Agent Carmichael? Nothing you say will get you out of this situation." she said.

Chuck briefly closes his eyes taking a quick deep breathe before he begins talking. "You're not going to turn us in."

A hint of a smile appears on her face knowing that despite catching a well respected team with an exceptional success rate in the act of breaking into the C.I.A. Director's office is a sad desperate attempt to make a bargain with her. She shakes her head at that particular thought finding it quite amusing causing to respond to Chuck's unwarranted plea knowing it would be all for naught.

"What makes you think I'm not going to turn you in?"

"Because I found this picture..." Chucks says as he takes out the small photo from his right pocket extending his right arm showing it to her. "…and its says you two are in love."

XXX

**_NOTE: Strap on your seat belts kids because its getting good. Is Chuck right or is he wrong? You just have to wait for the next chapter and see. Please leave a comment you enjoyed reading this chapter._**


	13. Visine, It Gets The Red Out

"That is merely speculation Agent Carmichael." responded Chapel to Chuck's allegations of a relationship between her and Graham. She continues to aim her gun she's holding with her right hand directly at Chuck while holding the phone up to left up to her ear. "That picture you're holding doesn't prove anything?" she added with absolute plausible deniability.

Chuck knew it would be a long shot but judging from the picture he found on the floor he had to find out for all their sakes. He pulls himself together as takes a few steps closer towards Chapel to where she tenses up aiming her gun from his chest to directly at his head. Sarah, Casey and Travis steel themselves upon Chuck's risky move causing them to do the exact same thing Chapel does only directing their aim at her.

He notices the call she is making hasn't been completed yet as all her concentration is focused on both the photo and Chuck. Its a positive sign all things considered and as much as he knows there is no turning back at this point he firmly takes control of his nerves. Chuck knows all eyes or on him as he makes the attempt to persuade Chapel into working with them instead of against them.

"Maybe…" answered Chuck with a wry smile. "…maybe not.

Graham's secretary shows signs of apprehension causing the tension within the room to intensify. If things turn south its because of him and he doesn't want to let his team down. Chuck thinks to himself that it can go either way but the pause she takes is possibly another positive sign because in his view not refusing immediately to answer his questions shows she is hiding something.

Sarah, Chuck, and Travis have no choice but to trust Chuck's judgment. Its his show for the moment and they are simply there as support. Sarah and Travis know how Casey is itching to shoot someone but at this particular juncture they quickly glance at him to see that he's restraining himself. From Travis' view point, he looks like a Rottweiler that has been chained up frothing at the mouth wanting to be unleashed and reek havoc.

"You're just stalling." stated Chapel.

"Look, answer me this one question. Just one." retorted Chuck raising his right finger in the air. "Hey, you have the advantage here so what do you have to lose except for just answering one messily question." he added shaking his head as he raises both arms to the side.

Team Chuck anxiously wait for Chapel's response and after what seems like a lifetime she gives Chuck her answer. "Ask your one question." she emphatically stated.

Chuck's teammates breathe out a brief sigh of relief but know they've been given a limited amount of time to get her to cooperate with them, but more importantly cooperate with Chuck. Sarah and Travis can sense Casey silently telling him to not screw this up and then ends with whatever adjective he has chosen to describe him. They continue to train their weapons at Chapel all-the-while wondering what the one question he is going to ask her will be.

"When did you find out about Graham's disappearance?" Chuck wondered.

The question completely throws Sarah, Casey, and Travis off. Casey thinks to himself that Chuck just screwed the pooch because of all the questions to ask at this particular moment he chooses that one. Travis exudes a look of utter confusion on his face but continues to have his buddies' back while Sarah has every assurance that Chuck knows what he is doing.

"I found out this morning from a friend of mine who works for General Beckman." she replied.

"Huh." answered Chuck with a sense of confusion on his face with hint a laughter mixed in.

Questionable looks appear on the face of everyone in the room except for Chuck who continues to exude a lack of comprehension to what she just said to him. It causes Chapel to ask why. "Why did you just do that?" she inquired with vapid curiosity.

"Do what?

"That…" Chapel is disbelief as it seems to her that Chuck is making light of the entire situation. "…all you can respond with is a huh and laugh." she responded shaking her head. "What is wrong with you?" she added.

Casey is about to respond when Sarah turns to give him a glaring look of disapproval. Of the many things that Sarah knew about Casey was that he thoroughly enjoyed ribbing Chuck whenever he found the perfect opportunity to but now wasn't the right time. The blonde agent gives one more glaring look just for the sake it before she redirects her attention back to Chuck.

"No disrespect to Graham but I find it funny that you chose now to come into work." he said as he crosses hid arms, glances around at his teammates, and returns his attention back to Chapel. "Its well close to noon…" Chuck looks down to checks his watch and then up at Graham's secretary. "…and I'm thinking as a boss I wouldn't appreciate having any of my employees walking in late."

Chapel is insulted by what Chuck says causing her to become angry. "How dare you!" she bellowed. "I found out The Director was taken and instead of you finding him you're here questioning me on why I didn't come in to work early?"

"Yeah…" Chuck nodded. "…that's about right."

"You got to be kidding me." she said in absolute disbelief.

She continues to shake her head at the outright audacity of the whole situation. To her, it seems the man that is standing in front of her is treating Graham's abduction as a joke. At this point, all she can do is laugh because of how absurd the questions and statements Chuck is making truly are. She begins to slowly lower her gun but quickly raises it immediately stepping forward placing it against Chuck's forehead while still clutching Graham's phone in her left hand.

The response Chapel gives put Casey, Sarah, and Travis on high alert as they converge closer towards her. However, Chuck raises both arms silently informing to back off as deals with a very angry woman with a gun pressed up against his forehead. In that very moment Chuck has two decision to make and they are to either keep going or call a time out to in order change his boxer shorts.

XXX

Travis Riley stands there a few feet away from a highly volatile situation with a target in his sights. It didn't make him feel any better to know his teammate and friend has a gun against his head put there by a woman who isn't in the right frame of mind. Thinking about though, not being in the right frame of mind isn't quite the right word for it as she is clearly going off the deep end.

The former protégé of Tobias Carter was used to doing things by the book and following procedure without questioning it. However, after joining Chuck's team 6 months ago he found it quite different and not to mention a bit unorthodox concerning the way they handle business. It took some getting used to but eventually he integrated into the mix quite nicely.

He read past reports of their exploits over the past 3 and a half years concerning mission of high importance and was totally enamored by their heroics. In some ways, he idolized the 3 person team for not always going by the book and were given free reign to do whatever it took to get the job. Essentially, the one thing that stood out to him would be the team's chemistry.

At first glance, it would be sufficed to say they are a well oiled machine that worked well together as a whole. Whenever one would ever be in danger the other two are right there by their side backing him or her up. Its that cohesiveness in which Travis respected because as much as he saw them as a team, he also saw them a tight knit family as well who loved/cared about each other although Casey may disagree with particular sentiment.

As a team, they would be a force to be reckoned with and despite altercations within in the team dynamic they are always able to resolve them for the sake of the mission. He has seen first hand times where arguments occur between either Chuck and Sarah or Sarah and Casey or Chuck and Casey or all three at one time and never let it effect them while on the field…sometimes.

However, individually they brought to the table a plethora of skill sets that by themselves make for quite an interesting partnership. Three people unceremoniously joined together for the greater good and it all apparently started by a mutual acquaintance that Chuck, Sarah, and Casey were very familiar with…Bryce Larkin. I would like to meet him someday Travis thinks to himself.

In any case, the 3 individuals he is currently in the tension filled room exuded different personalities that on paper would make you scratch your head in absolute confusion. Agent John Casey is considered a soldier's solder who seemingly always obeys orders. A man deemed as a burnout never really looked the part of a team player as he's considered the pre-conceived loner type who in his own words broke things instead of fixes them.

Travis knew of the things that he thoroughly enjoyed other than trimming his bonsai garden was not only picking on Chuck, but also the special relationship he shares with Sarah. Casey would always threaten him or found something to pick on him about whether its sharing what he liked to refer to as his "lady feelings" with Sarah or just the little things they do together that annoy him to no end.

It would be Casey who gave him the hardest time upon entering as the newest member to Team Chuck. From the minute he joined the team the NSA agent would be on his case every time about something so insignificant it boarded on becoming personal, which he understood. The strong but albeit dysfunctional relationship he shared with Chuck's father Abe Bartowski meant a lot to him and as much as he reviled in making fun of him he carefully watched over not just him, but Sarah as well.

Speaking of Sarah, the voluptuous blonde agent is one of those woman men would die for and for the most part they did…literally. Agent Sarah Walker exuded absolute outer beauty that deceptively masks a trained killer within. Travis would come to find out how deadly she truly was when during a mission where Chuck was in peril she took on 5 men alone killing 1 and severely injuring the other 4.

He mentally noted to never mess with her, especially if involved either her family or the love of her life a Mr. Chuck Bartowski. Yet, as impressed and considerably scared of Sarah Walker during his first few weeks on the team he grew to become fond of the real her a one DeAnna Wexler daughter of military weapons mogul/fellow Zeitgeist member Jeremiah Wexler. It would be DeAnna Wexler who would treat him like a little brother even though he was about the same age as Sarah and Chuck.

If someone ever asked him who he liked being around more Sarah Walker or DeAnna Wexler who wouldn't be able to give him a straight answer because they are one in the same. He liked the kick butt take no prisoners persona of Agent Sarah Walker, which is someone you want fighting by your side. He also liked DeAnna Wexler who exuded the qualities of a caring big sister, the motherly duties of strict disciplinarian when it comes to Casey, and most definitely loving girlfriend to one Chuck Bartowski.

Now when it comes Chuck, he is considered puzzle with in an enigma wrapped in a conundrum. The skill set he possesses is absolutely remarkable and the accurate intel he provides is so spot on its totally unbelievable. It just boggles the mind how much he has in that noggin' of his he thinks to himself. He jokingly referred to Chuck as Data during the plane ride to D.C. but in his honest opinion he lives up to the factitious character brilliantly portrayed by Brent Spiner.

As a teammate, he would be an exceptional teammate but as a fellow video gamer he's a great adversary next to his best friend Morgan Grimes who comes a close second. Travis could always tell that when it came to missions he has the qualities similar to that of Star Trek Voyager character Lieutenant Reginald Barclay who is somewhat like Chuck tending to be anxiety ridden, having moments of self consciousness, and socially awkward when it comes to confronting bad guys head on.

In addition to that, add the moral standing of the Enterprise doctor Leonard McCoy otherwise known as "Bones" and you get a timid, reluctant spy with a conscience. However, when it came to playing video games he's a mixture of the more playful mischievous rather the threatening omnipotent being known as Q of the Continuum combined with the child prodigy of a young Wesley Crusher giving him considerable advantage in the Call of Duty gaming realm.

For its those 3 individuals who in his opinion make up one of the greatest teams he has ever seen or ever been a part of. A team that no matter how much it looks like their backs are against the wall they always seem to get fight their way out of it together. Travis' thoughts abruptly end there as his focus returns to Chuck who has put himself in an unfortunate predicament to say the least.

XXX

"You ok buddy?" asks Travis with concern.

Truth be told he wasn't fine being that he currently had a gun to his head and probably needed to change his boxer shorts but he didn't need Chapel to know that. As much as he's freaking out inside he tries to remain as cool as a cucumber in order get the information they need from Chapel. The attention he has as his eyes divert from her gun back to the blonde haired secretary.

"Peachy Trav." Chuck sarcastically remarked. He resumes his efforts in trying to interrogate Graham's secretary. "Listen, I get it and truth be told I understand."

"Understand what exactly?"

Chuck witnesses the mixture of confusion and curiosity growing on her face. His instincts kick in and begins sharing a very familiar story with Chapel. "The relationship you have…" Chapel pulls back the handle upon hearing causing Sarah, Casey, and Travis to become even more tense. "…ok alleged…uh alleged relationship is similar to two people." he says raising two fingers in air.

"I don't have time for stories…"

Chuck knows that he needs to keep it going so he makes the decision to cut her off. "I'm going to tell it anyway because it's a story of love and the obstacles these two people had to face in order to be together. A hint of a smile begins to creep on his face as he begins telling his story. "It all began 3 and half years ago as this very gorgeous woman walks into this guy's life. He sees her and instantly makes a fool of himself right off the bat but here's the funny thing she finds it quite endearing." he says with a small chuckle.

As Chuck continues the story Sarah realizes the love story he's sharing with Chapel is theirs and even though their all currently in a high pressure situation she can't help but be touched by the story.

"The woman and the man have a great first date but unfortunately like all first dates go things seemingly go unplanned. He finds out information about her that freaks him out and then he find comes to find that his former best friend from college used to date the woman he's currently with making it very hard for him to comprehend. As a matter of fact to this day it sort of unsettling…"

"Chuck!" Sarah shouted.

"Sorry…sorry I was rambling." he stated with an apologetic tone to his voice. "Anyhoo, despite finding about her ex, they talk and form a bond of trust. Unfortunately, the trust they both shared would be tested but like any love story you have to go through hell in order to reach heaven right? Sarah can feel tears starting to form but holds them back for the sake of Chuck while Casey has this disgusted albeit annoyed look on his face as he hears the story. " The relationship first becomes a matter of liking each other and after spending more time together it's becomes a matter of appreciating each other for the times when she needed him and he needed her. Ultimately, the like and appreciation turn into love but the story doesn't end there my friend because you see…"

"Enough!" Chapel bellowed. The tone in her voice sounds like she is absolutely fed up. "I don't see what the point of the story is so I'm just going to call…"

"The point is…" he chimed in interrupting Chapel. "The love story I just told you is about myself and Agent Walker."

"What?"

"Yeah…" he responded slowly turning back to give a cheeky smile back at her to which she reciprocates. They share a brief moment when he is attention is turned towards Casey who gives a low sounding grunt. His smiles goes flat and then immediately turns his attention back to Chapel. "…umm…Agent Walker and I went through so many obstacles to be together knowing the one rule to never break was broken when it comes to the spy game…never fall in love.

"I…"

"You're not in love with Graham but I think otherwise. "And…" Chuck steps back and begins slowly reaching over towards the desk lamp. He turns it on and flips the top directing the light at her. "…if I'm right you've been crying and what's why you're late to work."

"I…ummm…" is her only response at this juncture.

"Trav." called out Chuck.

"Right here man, what do you need?" he inquired.

Chuck continues to look straight at Chapel with his eyebrow furrowed showing he has a hunch. "Check her bag and tell me what you find."

Travis un-cocks his weapon and backs up to Chapel's desk where her purse and now cold cup of coffee sits. He rifles through her back and after a few seconds he comes back with a couple items. "Got 'em." Travis holds up in front of him to show several bags of tissues one of them being opened and a small bottle of Visine. "How did you know dude?" he says in amazement."

"Look at her eyes…" All 3 team members cautiously lean forward and look closer to see what he apparently sees. "…they are somewhat blood shot probably from crying all morning. Plus, there are signs of slight redness underneath her nose with a bit of puffiness under here eyes as well." Chuck confidently stated. "So, are you going to finally come clean and cooperate with us?" he added.

Chuck stands there with her gun still pressed up against his head hoping Chapel to give in and cooperate with them. His hopes are for the most part coming true as he gradually lowers her gun letting it fall the floor. At the same time this happens, Sarah steps forward to check on Chuck while Casey retrieves the gun on the floor. After a brief moment with Sarah he takes a big breathe and then stands in front of a speechless Chapel.

"So are you going to help us or not? Please, we need your response." he asked reaching over placing his left hand on her right shoulder.

Graham's secretary hasn't said a word causing much concern with Chuck. He is about to say something to see if she is okay when all of a sudden he sees tears flowing down cheek. Its a bit unsettling to him but he's been there before as a shoulder to cry on and gentlemen that he is offers to be her shoulder to crying on. What he doesn't expect though is Chapel suddenly bawling out loud then immediately hugging him much to Chuck's surprise as he's completely engulfed in her embrace.

XXX

The situation in Graham's office no longer a high threat situation after Chuck is able to reveal there is indeed a relationship between her and Graham. She is sitting in Graham's chair blowing her nose with the same tissues that Travis got out of her purse. Chuck walks out of the bathroom with a glass of water in hand heading towards Chapel in order to hydrate her after letting go of the waterworks. After handing her the glass, she takes a few sips and then looks up at Chuck.

"Thank you." she said.

Chuck gives her a reassuring smile. "No problem." Chuck retorted. "Out of curiosity how long have you and Graham secretly been in love?" he added.

"15 years but like you said spies don't fall in love, which also implies for The Director of the C.I.A. and his secretary." she remorsefully answered. Sarah can see the anguish in her face and the genuine sadness in the tone in her voice that her feelings for him are truly real. She thinks to herself Graham is human after all and has a heart beating with actual emotions. "As much as I wanted to share the news of my relationship with all my friends, it was better to just keep a secret." she says. Chuck can tell that by revealing to them about their relationship it has lifted a weight off her shoulders. "I'm sure you two know what that feels like." she added.

"We do." responded Chuck as he lovingly looks at Sarah beside her which she reciprocates back. The moment is abruptly ended by Casey stepping in.

"Ms. Chapel, we need you to provide us with the files on Archer and his men. It's a matter of National Security." requested Casey.

"Casey, come on man have a heart or was it taken like Spock's brain by a female alien being." said Travis as he responds to Casey's rude interruption.

"How about I take my foot and stick it up…"

Chapel immediately interrupts the two men argument and directs her attention towards Casey. Have you ever been in love Agent Casey, I mean truly in love?" she asked looking deep into his the proud marine's eyes.

Casey stands there knowing with a shadow of the doubt that he has. Long before falling deeply in love with his current girlfriend Jayne and his former love Isla he was madly in love with Kathleen McHugh who he would later find out shared a daughter with. He used to go by the real name Alex Coburn but he was officially declared dead not by his choice but by the choice of his now deceased former commander Colonel Keller.

The burly NSA agent had many regrets in the past and she was definitely one of them. As painful for him to see her again it was equally as painful for him to see his daughter grown up as a young woman. He couldn't help but think of what if but ultimately he chose the greater good over love and he made his choice so he has to live it no matter how painful it is.

"Yes ma'am." he grunted.

"So will you help us?" Sarah asked expressing a softness in her eyes.

The secretary to the Director of the C.I.A. sits silently for a moment in his chair as all 4 members of Team Chuck patiently await her answer. The seemingly long silence is abruptly ends with her taking a brief breathe and then lifts herself out of Graham's chair. She heads out of the office and toward the back wall of her desk where a small painting of a soldier one half man and the other half robot hangs with the signature N. Soong located at the bottom right hand corner.

Sarah, Chuck, Travis, and Casey follow suit standing on the other side of the desk. She takes the painting down to reveal a hidden wall safe behind hit. From their view it's a combination voice recognition and thumb print model that is specifically modified for her. To Chapel it made perfect sense for the safe to be behind her desk because quite frankly it would be obvious for anyone attempting to break in and steal files.

After saying her name and placing her thumb on the scanner it opens. She takes out several files with the words CLASSIFIED in bold red letters. She momentarily stares at the top file and then slowly turns around standing behind her desk giving a look of absolute seriousness towards the 4 people standing in front of her. Chapel extends her arms handing over the files to Chuck.

"A list of Archer's men are in the top file." she saic with a mixture of worry and hope. "God speed to you all."

XXX

**_NOTE: I don't know about you but this past episode was just AWESOME! Anyways, hope you enjoyed the read and please leave a comment._**


	14. Prove Me Wrong

Ellie and Cassidy finished their birthday party to do list leaving only the food to be done last, which Ellie said she would take of it by way of her wedding planner now turned family friend Mary Fiore. Its 11 a.m. and the two ladies decide to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. After they are seated at a table and then look over the menu for a few minutes the two ladies inevitably give the waitress their orders. As they are waiting, they having a conversation pertaining to Sarah's birthday party.

"My little sister is going to have a memorable birthday party." Cassidy sais with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Yes she is." responded Ellie with a smile. "I've gotten to know Sarah and for the most part she's been like an open book except when it comes to sharing her birthday." she added with look of disappointment in her eyes.

The elder Wexler sister knew the exact reason why she not only didn't share the date of her birthday or why she wasn't too keen on celebrating it either. To live a life of unimaginable solace and not being able to celebrate the day of your birth is quite depressing she thought to herself. Cassidy learned from Sarah that if you're in the spy game you pretty much have an expiration date and at any moment you could end up dead.

She quite frankly found it unsettling to know her baby sister can easily be replaced at the snap of a finger. That particular thought made her angry. She understood that her little sister signed up for the greater good but to treat her as just a tool for accomplishing their goals is something she didn't agree with. To her, DeAnna is seen by the powers that be as just another disposable agent in a long line of agents working for the C.I.A.

If she had the opportunity to talk to her boss once he is rescued she would most certainly give him a piece of her mind. Granted the man is a intimidating, menacing figure and just one look can leave you quivering with fear but despite those facts she would get right in his face as long as Casey is right there with her. I'm brave but I'm not out of my freaking mind she thinks to herself.

Cassidy realizes she hasn't been paying attention to what Ellie has been saying. The last thing she remembers before she trailed off was talking about her sister's birthday. She goes into somewhat of a mini panic on all-the-while giving a gratuitous smile and head nod to give Ellie the assumption she has been listening to the whole time. Its at that point, she decides to speak and hopes the topic of conversation is still about DeAnna's birthday.

"She never really liked celebrating birthdays much." retorted Cassidy glancing down to avoid direct eye contact with Ellie.

Her hopes are validated when Ellie does indeed respond concerning her sister's dislike of birthday celebrations. "That's understandable I guess." said Ellie. "Nobody wants to reminded they are getting older especially us women. " she added with a hint of laughter.

_Embarrassing situation averted_. Cassidy exhales a brief sigh of relief as she responds with laughter as well. The two ladies continue their conversation as they go over birthday party details such as the guest list, decorating their house, and possibly renting a karaoke machine. After a few minutes go by, the conversation they have about Sarah and the party gradually turns to something more personal for Cassidy.

"So Cassidy, any guys you're interested?"

The question takes Cassidy completely by surprise nearly spitting out the water she's drinking. "Oh…" Cassidy sets her glass of water down and wipes the water dripping from her chin with the napkin on the table. "…work keeps me pretty busy and beside guys seemed to be threatened by a successful women." she said with reluctance in her voice.

Ellie eyes furrow at what she says. "I don't believe that one bit. Sure you're aggressive and a bit…"

"Bitchy?"

"I was going to say passionate." Ellie retorted with a hint of a smile on her face. "You have a lot to offer and you know what I'm going to help you narrow the field of eligible bachelors."

Cassidy's eyes widen upon hearing Ellie stepping up to be her matchmaker. "Ellie, you don't have to do this for me."

_Please don't do this. _As much as she loved Ellie for helping her with her love life, she didn't want to feel like a burden on her. The thought of having her play matchmaker freaked her out. She had been fixed up on blind dates before and the end result were utter disasters. To be fixed up would be one thing, but to be fixed up with guys especially from Los Angeles would be totally disastrous she thinks to herself.

As she sat there with a forced smile on her face, she remembers Chuck telling her how Ellie tried to fix him up on his birthday with her doctor friends. It didn't go to well as he tried to escape from his own birthday part and to top it all off the women she tried fix Chuck up with according to him were a considerably flighty bunch. Overall the experience for him was excruciatingly uncomfortable.

She wants to give Ellie the benefit of the doubt but doesn't want to turn her down knowing how she likes helping people, especially those she cares about. She doesn't want to end up avoiding the guy all night or escaping from her own sister's birthday party because the guy her future sister-in-law set her up with was a real douche. Its at this point, she begrudgingly decides to give her a chance.

"So what do you say Cass?" Ellie excitedly asked.

"All right…" exhaled Cassidy with some reluctance. "…I put my love life in your hands Ellie.

Ellie's responds by giving a restrained giggle of excitement as she gives a silent clap. As she does so, the waitress arrives bringing along a tray of food they ordered.

XXX

Team Chuck reconvene back at the black S.U.V. in the C.I.A. parking lot with the information they need to possibly find the missing C.I.A Director. The last few moments were pretty intense with Graham's secretary pulling a gun on Chuck and luckily for him, he didn't have to change his shorts. All 4 teammates sit in their original seats and then Sarah, Casey, and Travis turn their attention towards Chuck who feels all eyes staring at him.

"What?" he wondered looking around the inside cabin of the black S.U.V.

"Well, get to work Bartowski." grunted Casey.

"You know what Casey, can I have a second for myself before I open these files." stated a somewhat miffed Chuck.

"Take all the time you need…" Chuck is surprised by Casey's response as he looks at Sarah and Travis. "…by the time you have your precious second to yourself it will be too late for Graham."

"Casey that was uncalled for." interjects Sarah.

Travis immediately add his 2 scents into the mix. "Whoa! Give Chuck a break Casey. Is this because you didn't get a chance to shoot Graham's secretary?"

Casey eyebrows furrow as he gives a clear sounding grunt that everybody can hear. From where they are sitting its grunt 9 which is impatient with a side of anger. "Listen up…" Casey glares at Chuck then at Sarah and Travis. "…every second we lose is second that could be spent helping Graham."

"Don't I know that!" Chuck spitted out. "You don't know the pressure I put myself under because I hold the key to finding him." he angrily responded. "Day in and day out you depend on me to provide clear cut intel and every time we end up successfully stopping some foreign national hell bent on destroying the world or thwarting a potential kidnapping. " Chuck pauses to rub his forehead. "There a lot of people other than you who count on me to help them even if they don't know it."

"Hey…" Sarah gently places her right on Chuck's left. "…I didn't know that's how you felt?" she softy said with great concern.

Chuck doesn't say a word to but simply acknowledges her with a half hearted smile. He breathes out a sigh of relief after getting off some of that pent up stress he's been accumulating over the years off his chest when it comes to the missions themselves. Travis, Sarah, and even Casey witness before them that Chuck has the weight over the world on his shoulders.

"You okay buddy?" asked Travis.

"I'm fine." Chuck exhaled a tremendous sigh of relief getting that off his chest. "Its just that I don't want to let the people we end up saving down. I don't want to let myself down." He then turns to all 3 of his teammates and gives a look of absolute seriousness. "But most of all I don't want to let any of you down." he added.

A moment of silence blankets the inside cabin of the black S.U.V. as Sarah responds with a smile while Travis lightly punches his left knee. Casey on the other hand gives a resounding grunt as his respond causing all 3 of them to turn their attention to him. Chuck is expecting to get another quintessential tongue lashing from the burly annoyed NSA agent currently behind the while.

"Ok Casey, go ahead and let me have it." begrudgingly requested Chuck. "I can see it in your eyes."

The tall, lanky business owner is ready for the usual berating or possible threat of bodily harm when he shares his lady feelings. He sits there looking at Casey waiting for the barrage of insults and threats of sticking his foot up where the sun don't shine to engulf him like a proverbial tidal wave. As he is sitting there, he notices that he's not saying a word leaving him to wonder what is going on.

"I'm sorry."

A look of confusion appears not only on Chuck's face but on the face of Travis and Sarah as well. It came as a total surprise for all 3 of them to hear an actual apology utter from his mouth, which came pretty rare for a man who quite frankly didn't apologize much. Granted other words have been uttered from his mouth that should not be heard by young children or the elderly for the matter.

"Wait, I think my hearing needs to be checked…" Travis said as he proceeds to clean his right ear with his right pinky finger. "…I thought I just heard you say I'm sorry."

To Travis, the relationship between Chuck and Casey has been somewhat similar to that of Spock and Bones. One of the thing the two fictitious officers shared is friction and even though the relationship itself is quite odd it would be widely seen as an unconventional friendship. A friendship that would inevitably have Spock place his mind in the head of Dr. McCoy in the movie The Wrath of Khan.

He found that when it came to Casey he exuded the Spock like qualities in which he used extreme logic and instead of extreme science to get his point across he uses bodily harm to the extreme. Add to the fact, that he can according to Chuck be emotionally constipated fit to Casey to a T minus the ears of course to the iconic Star Trek character of Spock.

Chuck, on the other hand, exhibited the more humanistic side of Bones when attempting to rationalize the entire situation concerning the mission at hand knowing it may or may not get through to the so called hard headed Vulcan mind of Casey. He found it considerably interesting and at times amusing that the roles tended to be switched depending on the situation. A resounding grunt suddenly snaps Travis' thought process.

"Don't make me say it again Bartowski." grunted Casey gritting through his teeth.

"I don't really know what to say Casey. That was sweet…"

"Save it Walker." interjected Casey.

"Well, that hallmark moment quickly went by." Travis sarcastically stated.

"I'm not finished." Travis quiets down as Sarah, Chuck, and Travis give Casey their undivided attention. "I know it seems to you I'm always getting on your case a lot…" Casey gives a menacing grunt when he sees that Chuck is about to respond causing him to zip his lip. "…the reason I do is because you screw things up."

"Thanks Casey, way to build up my confidence." nodded Chuck.

"Shut up numbnuts I'm not done." Chuck quiets down once again and then notices Casey having trouble trying to say what he wants to say to him. "You do screw things up but what I respect about you is that you do everything in your power to make it right by stupidly going towards the danger instead of staying in the car when you're told." he added.

"You respect me?" responded Chuck with a smile on his face.

All Casey gives is a hearty grunt for his response as he turns facing the front. It's a response that Chuck takes with pride because even though he not the type of guy who shares his feeling he'll have your back 100%. "We're considered the best team because its partly due to you." Casey hesitantly retorted.

"Wow, thanks Casey." said Chuck scratching his head in disbelief. "Having the intersect in my head can really takes its toll on me mentally you know."

Casey and Sarah suddenly realize Chuck has inadvertently spilled the beans on the secret they've been trying to keep from Travis until now. The question on both their minds is will they be able to trust him with his secret. They seemingly at the same time turn their attention towards Travis who exudes a very confused look on his face as he tries to mull over in his mind on what Chuck just said and then speaks up.

"What's the intersect?"

XXX

"Did I say intersect, no…uh…I actually said…"

So many thoughts raced through Chuck's mind. It didn't make it any better to be babbling on and on like a complete idiot knowing he's digging himself into a deeper hold. He immediately knew 2 things: 1. He just let the cat out of the bag. And 2. After the apology he received from Casey he knew that he's about to get some kind of verbal insult for revealing the big secret.

"Moron." Casey uttered under his breathe.

Sarah immediately knows she has to do damage control because if Casey tries to do it Travis would end up disappearing altogether. It would be hard to explain to not only Beckman as to the whereabouts of the newest member to Team Chuck and the Zeitgeist, but to her own father as well. It was her father that practically stuck his own neck out for him to be on the team in the first place.

She didn't want to see that happening because quite frankly she enjoys hanging around with Travis who she feels is an extended part of the family. If Casey is the antagonistic older brother then Travis is the fun loving younger brother. She never brothers growing up and those two comes close to being hers so she makes the attempt to keep Chuck's secret a secret.

"Trav, we need you to keep Chuck's secret." She pauses glances from Chuck and Casey back towards Travis. "Chuck has high level government intel downloaded into his brain and that's why he's highly valuable to the team.

"Only a handful of people know buddy. If anyone else knew like Fulcrum find out I'm going to end up in a deep dark bunker never to see my family, friends, and especially Sarah ever again." Chuck said.

Sarah and Chuck sit there studying Travis trying to figure out what going on in his head. The both quickly look at each other all-the-while keeping a close on eye on Travis. Casey is sitting in the driver's seat looking towards the front of the S.U.V. not even looking at Travis with a look on his face that says the dimwit has screwed up once again and how he's going to have to fix it somehow like always.

The power couple suddenly notices a hint of a smile on his and then the sound of low laughter is heard. It the smile and laughter that deeply concern Sarah, Chuck, and Casey as well who slowly turns around in order to give his usual menacing glare. All 3 give their undivided attention to Travis who hasn't said a word ever since asking what the intersect is.

"I know." he responded.

A look of confusion appears on Chuck's face as he quickly glances at Sarah. "You know what exactly?" inquired Chuck.

Travis leans forward and looks straight at Chuck. "I know all about the intersect and how your former roommate at Stanford and your former C.I.A. partner sent it to you via email." responds Travis. "I also know after a virus caused you to crash you were downloaded with a newer version of the intersect by you're father's old friend William Jax." he added.

All 3 sit there in stunned silence at the shocking reveal of what Travis knows concerning Chuck's secret as their jaws quite literally drop to the floor. The silence is quickly interrupted by Chuck who gradually get us the nerve to ask how. "When…when did you know or better yet how long have you known?" Chuck nervously wondered.

"I've known since the incident at DN1 where Bryce supposedly betrayed his country." The stunned silence continues as Travis explains further. "The Zeitgeist were intrigued by the circumstances concerning not only the incident but with Bryce who to contrary belief is very much alive." Travis notices he has everyone's undivided attention so he continues on. "Tobias and I were assigned to keep close tabs on you 3 when movements of a former member Marcus Stefano began to surface in Colorado."

"Is that around same time my sister arrived in Los Angeles?" asked Sarah.

"Yup and don't worry only Tobias and I know the secret."

Its at this point, Casey who has been sitting there digesting everything that has been said interject his thoughts in the mix. "How can we know we can trust you after what you've told us?" grunted Casey.

"You can't."

XXX

_You can't._ That's highly encouraging to hear Chuck thinks to himself. After 3 and half years of keeping the secret he's managed to spill the beans in a matter of seconds to someone he endorsed to be on the team. He will most certainly not hear the end of this from Casey who is probably formulating a plan right now to inform General Beckman and place him in a deep dark secured bunker for the rest of his life.

"I haven't told anyone his secret…"

"Yet, you haven't told anyone yet." Casey emphatically stated.

Travis knew that simply saying he's going to keep his secret didn't matter. He has to do something in order to show that them that he can be trusted because at this point things are not looking good. "I'm just going to have to prove myself then to earn your trust." proclaims Travis.

"So this…" Chuck waves his right hand up and down in front of Travis. "...all this has just been a front and you're not really into video games or real Trekker for that matter."

"Hey, I find that insulting." quickly responded Travis.

"You find what insulting?"

"The fact that I am not a real Trekker when you've clearly been to my house and seen my Star Trek memorabilia. Plus the fact, I have the actual robe that Leonard Nimoy wore in the movie The Voyage Home that I bought off Ebay, which I never showed you. " says Travis pointing at Chuck. "I actually spent several hours in a bidding war with some dude with the username…"

"VulcanKid81." interjected Chuck.

"Yeah…" responded a surprised Travis. "…how did you know?"

A hint of a smile appear in the right corner of his mouth as he points to himself. "I'm VulcanKid81 making you..."

"BMU_Energize...so you're the douche bag that kept hiking the price up." he said waving his finger at him. "I promised myself if I ever got the chance to meet the man or woman who had me paying a boat load of money for the robe I would punch him in the face.

"Yeah, that douche bag would be me." he amusing said. "Are you gonna punch me in the face?"

"I'm still thinking about it." Travis chuckles a bit and then has look of curiosity appears on his face. "Wait, how were going to pay for the robe if you actually won?" Travis wondered.

"We didn't think that far ahead actually."

"We who? You mean you and Morgan?"

"Yeah, it was Morgan who got me hyped up telling me to place counter bid after counter bid and before I knew it the bid was up to 7,000 dollars and at the time I had 2,200 in my savings account."

"Thanks Morgan." Travis sarcastically said.

As Chuck and Travis are having their conversation, Casey and Sarah are totally stupefied at all that just went down. Travis reveals that he not only has known for a long time that Chuck is the intersect and he is supposedly giving his word to keep his secret, but a Star Trek robe worn in a movie by the actor Leonard Nimoy unknowingly connected them together before they even met.

To Sarah she finds the circumstances considerably amusing even though the events leading up to the reveal were suspect. Yet, as much as she wanted to give Travis the benefit of the doubt the safety of Chuck is and always will be her main concern. Like Casey who most certainly has his own doubts concern the kid, he would have to prove to her that he's truly part of Team Chuck.

How he would going about it is an unknown to her because the objective at this particular point and time is to find Graham. Travis knowing Chuck's secret will have to placed on the backburner for now until they properly deal with it in a timely manner because Graham is their main focus. Sarah's thoughts began to drift when she's suddenly pulled by into reality by the sound of Casey's voice.

"Is the nerd convention over because we have important matters to attend to." Casey emphatically stated.

There is a momentarily silence as Chuck and Travis turn to look at each other. "Are we good?" Travis asked as he hold his fist.

"For now." Chuck reciprocates the fist tap and then has a questioning look appear on his face. "Hey, would it be possible for me to see the Spock's robe?"

The 4th member to Team Chuck is about to respond when Casey abruptly interrupts the conversation. "Later Bartowski, we have a job to do so you two girls have your dress up party after we rescue Graham.

Chuck and Travis would be otherwise insulted at Casey's comment but they aren't as they end up laughing at what he said. From his point of view, they act like two immature kids laughing at the sound of a fart. The response of laughter doesn't sit too well with Casey as he gives a menacing grunt that immediately quiets the two men up. Its at this point, Sarah decides to get all 3 men back on track.

"Graham's secretary said the list of Archer's men is on top folder. Open it up and see if you flash on anything." said Sarah.

Chuck picks up the top file and before he opens it up he pauses for a minute to prepare himself a mass flash just like he experienced during his mass flash with Ilsa and the Russian mob. He briefly takes a breathe he opens the file and looks at the first name on the list. He immediately his eyes flutter to where he flashes seeing a series of images. When it is over, he immediately looks at Sarah.

"Where to Chuck?" inquired Sarah with vapid curiosity.

"I'll tell you on the way." he said.

XXX

**_NOTE: I liked how this particular chapter turned out. Its gonna be a bummer to wait 2 more weeks for a new Chuck episode but at least they're finally together. Anyways, hope you liked it and please leave a comment._**


	15. The Not So Great Outdoors

After flashing on the first name on the list, Team Chuck found themselves driving over an hour or so and then end up finally reaching their intended destination…Lake Fairfax. Chuck flashed on the name Lt. Rand Pulaski who according to him spent a better part of 3 years in Archer's unit as the team's main sniper until he was honorably discharged due to medical issues. He hasn't been heard from since then and his last known address is a cabin right on the lake itself.

It's around 1:45pm as Team Chuck hikes towards Pulanksi's cabin. They travel light taking only the essentials along. Sarah, Casey, and Travis weapons are currently tucked away behind their back in order to free their hands for better maneuverability. Chuck, on the other hand, carries under his right arm the top file attaining the list of Archer's men instead of a weapon as he too maneuvers as best he can through the woods.

The terrain towards the cabin itself is considered challenging yet maneuverable if accomplished in a safe and timely manner. The brush before and around them is dense in certain areas quite possibly concealing a menagerie of wildlife that aren't considered dangerous to which Chuck is thoroughly happy about in being able to avoid. Yet, he couldn't avoid the myriad of mosquitoes seemingly attracted to him.

True, he did spend his childhood years with his family camping with his family before the unfortunate tragedies happened. Those were fun memories that he found special and would never be able to forget he thought to himself. For the most part, they all had fun together eating smores, sleeping under the stars, and other enjoyable activities despite the barrage of bug bites he would receive during their family trip.

Now the trip he had with Sarah, Casey, Morgan, Anna, Ellie, Devon, his father and so called step brother Tucker was a whole other stories. It wasn't the mosquitoes that he dealt with as it was illegal hunters and a huge mother bear protecting her territory. A small smile of disbelief crept on his face at how he stood toe to paw with a clearly pissed of bear and lived to tell the story. Chuck's thoughts ends abruptly as he slaps the back of his nap.

_I hate mosquitoes._ The tall, lanky, brown curly haired man did his best to swat away the mosquitoes swarming around him both with his hand and the file folder. Chuck didn't really consider himself the outdoorsy type and would much rather be in doors preferably playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on his XBOX 360 instead of being outside getting bitten by what he considered the world's most annoying insect.

If he could compare them to something they would, in a way, be the insect like species called Jarada from the planet Torona IV from Star Trek: Generations. Although, the Jarada are allies to The Federation thanks to Picard, he wouldn't be so lucky as he considers the mosquitoes his mortal enemies instead of allies. He shakes head thinking that no amount of negotiations would have either of them coexisting…ever.

True, they weren't exactly the size of humans but in his mind they were not only bigger than life but an incredible nuisance as well. As he's dealing with the said nuisance, he couldn't help but wonder how anyone is able to tolerate being constantly bitten by hordes of sadistic insects. His focus inevitably turns to the man in front of him leading the 4 person team through the woods.

To Chuck, Casey seems like a true outdoorsmen who could easily rough it out in the middle of nowhere, especially if a mission is involved. Rough it in the context of having absolutely nothing except just a weapon of some kind and your wits. When it comes to food he would probably fashion some kind of spear from a tree branch, use his own bare hands to squeeze the life out of it, or end up shooting his kill. Any of those scenarios would suffice but in reality it wouldn't be Casey if he didn't shoot anything.

Chuck easily pictures him in predator mode with camouflage paint on his face, wearing brush netting to conceal him amongst the foliage, and quietly lying there in the brush stalking his target with either only a knife or a sniper rifle for that matter. As scary of a thought that truly is to think about, he and the rest of the team are glad that Casey is with them instead of against them.

In all honesty, he wouldn't be able to last a week by himself in the middle of nowhere. On the other hand, it wouldn't be so bad if he had Sarah roughing it along with him. He would most certainly be okay as it would give them both a chance to make it a romantic getaway without any possibly danger or threat to their lives.

Chuck had to give the big man in front of him credit for being the quintessential tough guy of the team. In a sense, they need him to give them a swift kick in the ass every now and then or practically all the time. Thinking about it further, every person plays a pivotal role in the team. After thinking hard about over the past 3 and a half years he was able to mentally break it down into 4 parts.

Without a doubt he considers himself the heart of the team because if there is no sign of life then it doesn't function at all . Now if he's the heart of the team then Sarah is the brains in which she has the capacity to see both sides and give a proper judgment call. When it comes to Travis, he's clearly the wild card who despite the trust issue earlier has indeed brought about a new found energy to Team Chuck.

Ultimately, Casey is the reality check for the entire team and he fits that role perfectly. There are times where you need to hear what is being said and he'll put the fear of God into you no doubt. You have to have thick skin when it comes to Casey he thinks to himself because even though what he says can personally hurts you know he's right…most of the time.

Speaking of reality, he was brought back to it as he suddenly felt the a tree branch thwapping him directly in the face. Chuck momentarily loses his balance with a mouth full of leaves nearly falling backwards to the ground but Sarah is right there to stop him from doing so with Travis quickly in tow. The power couples gives a look towards Casey who turns back to give a mischievous smirk with a soft but clearly audible grunt towards their way.

After removing the leaves from his mouth, all 3 teammates catch up to Casey who is kneeling down in front a small stream completely silent intently looking around. As the 3 approach, Casey hold up his right hand forming a fist signaling them to stop. He then motions slowly stands up looking to his right motion with his right hand to move up against the current of the small stream.

Several minutes go by until a clearing is seen a few clicks ahead of them. Upon reaching the clearing the step out to find a wondrous scene before them. They all could feel the warm air wash over them as they step out on to the sand. The lake itself seems serene, peaceful, and calm. The sun rays are like a million little diamonds as they bounce of its surface. A blanket of blue sky covers the surrounding edges.

Chuck, Sarah, and Travis couldn't help but take it all in, Casey, on the other hand, disregards the scenery and begins slowly scanning the area from right to left. As he does, his eyes are furrowed with a look of intensity and right arm is his side ready to grab his weapon at any moment. He continues to do a visual sweep of the perimeter until he spots something off in the distance.

"Target acquired." Casey said getting the attention of his teammates. "Let's go."

XXX

"Stay alert." emphatically stated Casey. "Pulaski's a trained sniper and could very well have one of us in his sights." he added.

That bit of information causes Chuck's eyes to widen. He nervously look around all-the-while wondering if Pulaski has set his sights on him. His pulse starts to race, his palms become sweaty, and his breathing is erratic yet controlled. As he walks on the sand no wider than a sidewalk towards their intended location, he feels his feet sinking into the soft sand. Every step he takes feels seemingly heavy making it difficult for him to walk but he is able to manage.

Chuck's fear increasingly grows when he suddenly hears a snap of what possibly is a tree limb to his left somewhere within the brush. His thoughts are frantically running a mile a minute imagination Pulaski quietly concealed in the brush tracking every move they make as he looks through the scope of his sniper rifle. He feels the tension creeping all over his body causing Chuck to want to turn the other direction screaming at the top of his lungs.

His heart is beating faster and harder to the point where he feels like he's in the midst of a panic attack. The surroundings before him seem to be spinning causing his breathing to become less controlled and more erratic. Chuck feels a he's losing control and is about crack when he suddenly feels a touch on his right hand. He glances down and then back up to see Sarah staring back at him.

"It's okay Chuck…" she softly said with a reassuring smile. "…I'm here."

A sense of calm suddenly comes over him within those 5 simple words. As he momentarily looked into Sarah's eyes, everything he felt or thought about concerning Pulaski possibly targeting them gradually went away causing his pulse, as well as breathing to calm down. To Chuck, the mental chaos he endures during high pressure situations such as this tends to dissolve once she makes her presence known to him.

The sullen, freaked out look on his face is inevitably replaced by a sheepish smile. He no longer feels the increased tension that has engulfed every part of his body to the point where the heaviness feels within his feet have now become lighter. The overwhelming sense of fear that took control of him is released from its clutches giving the ability to thinking clearly in a more rational manner.

"I'm here too dude." chimed in Travis in a comforting manner.

Travis' motives are considerably questionable Chuck thinks to himself. He wonders whether or not his intentions are truly genuine because of the situation that happened earlier in the C.I.A. parking lot or just trying to score friendship points in order to get on his good side. Whatever the case may be, he acknowledged the sentiment by giving a simple head nod to show his appreciation.

The moment between the 3 is suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a visibly perturbed Casey leaning in making his hulking presence known. "What meaning of stay quiet and alert don't you understand?" he quietly but firmly stated all the while gritting his teeth.

Casey's sudden appearance causes Chuck to nearly let out a girlish scream that would have very well given notice to Pulaski of their arrival. The low menacing growl Chuck hears causes him to immediately stand behind Sarah who has her arms crossed with right eyebrow raised. A silent standoff ensues and after a few moments Casey lets out grunt 10 which to the team is interpreted as frustration with a large helping of I don't care.

With the silent standoff over, Team Chuck resumes their trek towards Pulaski's cabin, which is getting relatively closer. Casey, Sarah, and Travis become keenly aware that the closer they get to the cabin the danger grows even greater causing them to give a quick but serious glance notifying each other to be alert. Chuck sees his teammates place their their arms slightly behind their back near the vicinity of their weapons as they cautiously approach the cabin approximately 50 feet away.

It became eerily quiet as the team cautiously approaches the cabin, which Chuck is totally aware of. The sound of the rustling wind blowing through the trees and the rippling waves seems down right haunting and not to mention foreboding as well. Nothing really ever good can come out of this Chuck thinks to himself as he tightly clutches the file close to his chest.

His thoughts concerning the current situation they all were in are temporarily set aside as he has a clearer picture of the cabin. On the outside it seems to him like any other cabin that could be found in a park or camp ground. Chuck wasn't the type of guy who could accurately describe what he sees before him but a man like Casey would.

From Casey's point of view, the cabin itself is situated in front of the dense forest and just several yards from the lake. It looks homely and possibly built from the ground up from the same trees that standing tall behind it. Even though the cabin looked large from the outside, it would be a whole other story on the inside as he surmised that it quite possible houses one person whereby having one bedroom in it.

In certain areas of the outer façade of the cabin such as the front porch, there are two semi-long large poles deeply fastened to ground and supporting the covering above it. The whole covering is covered in a dark brown varnish of some sort along with much of the entire cabin as well. He could only make out 3 windows…2 in front and 1 on the left side with the possibility of 1 on the right side.

Casey made note of that for a possible exit strategy in case Pulaski made an attempt to flee. His line of sight turns from the windows on the side and front areas of the house to the area of the triangle designed roof where a glass skylight is situated to let the nature's light in when there is no need of electricity. _Does he have electricity?_ He quickly disregards that particular thought because of how irrelevant it is to the situation at hand.

The glass skylight visually leads him to the stone chimney rests in the back center of the cabin, which shows signs of someone living there by puffs of smoke looming out of it giving them all the more reason to keep vigilant. All 4 team member pass the point of no return leading Casey, Sarah, and Travis to reach back for their weapon while in somewhat of a crouching position slowly bring it forward to the front.

To Casey, it becomes perfectly clear they are either really good at the element of surprise, which doesn't always go their way especially when it comes to the team's track record. OR Pulaski knows they are coming and is simply baiting them into a false sense of security and is waiting in the wings for the exact moment to strike. The NSA agent chose the latter.

As a soldier and as an agent as well, Casey learned to not only never let his guard down but to trust his instincts as well. Well, his guard would certainly be up and his instincts are screaming that it's a trap causing him to cautiously scan the area down in the font of him. He quickly throws up his right hand forming it in to fist and then motions for everyone to get down immediately.

He glances back motioning to Sarah, Chuck, and Casey of what his intentions are and they in turn silently signal to him back with a quick head nod. He intently looks at the sand to see if they are tell tale signs that there are any detonation devices that could possibly be planted like a blast mine, which activated by direct pressure and will explode upwards either killing their victim or destroying their legs.

However, Casey considers Pulaski more meticulous and fancy when it comes to planting land mines. He wouldn't use a stake mine because they are primarily used in areas with extremely thick vegetation like Cambodia. He then looks for a visible sign of a trip wire that could trigger a directional fragmentation mine in which its planted against something relatively solid like a tree trunk but there are none in sight.

The only other mine that is left is the bounding fragmentation mine. It's a mine in which if activated a charge propels it up in the air at eye level and then explodes. The expelled shrapnel often kills the person who activates the mine and can severely injure individuals that are close by, which means he's dead atomically._ Let Bartowski lead_. A smirk appears on his face but then suddenly falls flat. _Bad idea, we could all somehow end up dead._

Casey continues to scan the area in front of him. As he does, his teammate behind see him suddenly getting on his knees making a deep impression in the sane. He hands Sarah his weapon silently telling her with his eyes to cover him, which she acknowledges with another nod. Getting on his stomach, he begins slowly crawling using his massive forearms to carefully move himself forward.

After moving a few feet forward, he suddenly stops in a prone position completely stretched. He looks intently at something protruding in the sand in the area right in front of his face. He begins rubbing his fingers, then closes his eyes, after takes a deep breathe and then carefully begins brushes the away the sand being carefully to not inadvertently trigger the device causing not only possible death and injury, but make Pulaski aware of their location. Essentially what seems like minutes are considered hours to Casey whose assumptions are correct as he finds 1 bounding fragmentation mine embedded within the sand.

XXX

Casey assumes Pulaski isn't the type of guy to leave one so he once again carefully sifts through the sands in a straight line starting from the white sandy beach on left where he found the first detonation device and then moves to his right stopping just at point where the beach becomes darker in color. After patiently completing his task, he altogether not only finds a total of 4 bounding fragmentation mines, but carefully disarms them taking at least 2 of them as a keep sake, which his teammates notice right away.

The grizzled veteran of the NSA backs his way from his current location towards Chuck, Casey, and Sarah. Upon getting back to his knees he's immediately asked a question by Chuck. "Really Casey…" he frantically said in a quiet manner as he motions to the two detonation devices in the palm of his hands. "…taking souvenirs while on a mission!"

"Okay…" grunted Casey. "…you put them back Bartowski." he adds as he put both detonation devices in the hands of Chuck who quickly freezes up while Travis is left speechless. "Don't drop them or they could go off." he added.

To see Chuck completely freeze up holding the two detonation devices utterly amused him to no end. He wanted to tell him that the devices themselves as of now were no threat at all but he decided not to. Was it revenge for the times he didn't listen, get on his nerves, and not stay in the car or was it simply because he just wanted to do something so childish and immature he could get away with it just because.

It's a little of both he thought to himself. The kid has basically spent a better part of 3 and half years making his life mind numbingly painful both physically, as well as mentally. His ears have been thoroughly tortured by the inane hour long conversations with Chuck's furry little bastard Morgan about what type of sandwich one would take on a deserted island.

"Casey, are you insane?" responded Sarah with astonishment.

Sarah. It also gave him so much pleasure to torture her as well. The role of antagonist both in a positive and negative way concerning their relationship would be one he thoroughly enjoyed playing. The happiness that is seen in both their faces seriously annoyed him to no end because in his mind he considers anybody in a relationship who is that happy not only retarded but absolutely stupid.

Chuck and Sarah fit into that mold. To this day, he wonders what Sarah sees in the moron because what he sees is a highly uncoordinated guy, unable to shut up when the situation calls for it, and stupidly runs towards the danger knowing full well what is in his head is highly valuable government intel. It's a recipe for disaster and yet to his amazement the guy is still alive as if he's a cat with 9 lives or something.

When they were just handler and asset it was a deeply enjoyable experience to mess more with the curly haired dork than his blonde protector. With Sarah, he would only have to utter the words compromised and duty to where she would instantly be in agent mode. It would be easy the first year as a team, but after a while it became increasingly harder to, which took all the fun out of it.

However, when the relationship became official he felt like a kid in a candy in store giving him the chance to pick on both of them. The smart remarks, innuendos, and questions pertaining to their cover relationship during briefings with General Beckman along with Director Graham who at the time didn't know of the relationship made it all the more fun to do.

Despite all that, he made a promise to Chuck's father to watch over them and protect them. He is and continues to be a man of his word. Even though he doesn't show it he cares for the two of them and is glad that they are able to be finally be together but he's not going to say that to their faces. Its at that point, he decides to let the torture end as he quickly grabs the two detonation devices from his trembling hands.

"Relax Bartowski, they're both disarmed."

Chuck gathers himself just enough to mutter his response to him. "You are…" His voice is shaking at this point so he takes a deep breathe and exhales as he points to Casey. "…are certifiably insane!" he frantically stated flailing his arms around like a mad man. "Who does something like that!" he added.

"Gun." requested Casey holding out his hand towards Sarah who is just kneeling there giving him the evil eye. Casey notices what she is doing and gives his response. "Okay Walker, either shoot me or hand me my gun." Casey kneels there glancing at Chuck who is still a bit frazzled after what he did and then glances at Sarah who is still giving him the evil eye. He turns his full attention towards Sarah once again. "Well?"

"I'm thinking about it?" proclaimed Sarah.

Casey only response is to just spread his arms out with a smarmy look on his face waiting for Sarah to pull the trigger. He knows she wants to but wouldn't risk exposing their position to Pulaski and possibly having all 4 end up dead. After what seems like an eternity to him, Sarah reluctantly hands over his gun to him all-the-while giving him the death glare.

Sarah's death glare doesn't phase him at all as he gets into a crouching position with his gun now in front at the ready for possible action. He motions for Sarah and Travis to do so as well all the while glancing at Chuck who pulls himself together just enough to take his position right behind Casey once again. Casey glances back one more time to see him shaking his head and when he turns back around a sly smirk appears on his face.

"Move out." he said motioning for the 3 behind him to follow.

XXX

**_NOTE: I had fun writing this particular chapter. Hope you enjoyed reading and please leave a comment._**


	16. Warning Signs

The team huddled near the back left corner of the cabin just a couple feet from nicely stacked logs placed under the window. The first part of the objective had been accomplished and as far as they knew, their presence was undetected even though there were moments where they could easily been spotted or worse shot on the spot. All 4 teammates hug the wooden wall in an attempt to conceal themselves from Pulaski's view from the side window.

"What's the plan?" wondered Chuck who is still somewhat frazzled after what Casey pulled moments ago.

"I say we kick the door down, tranq him, and then get the information out of him when he comes to by way of threats, intimidation and bodily harm." grunted Casey.

_That's your solution?_ Chuck couldn't help but think that's always Casey's solution for everything when it came to getting vital information. True, that particular tactic has worked in the past with the perp ending up giving them what they wanted but this particular situation needed more of a softer touch than going in all gung ho. He wanted to try something totally new and risky at the same time.

"Casey, I know you haven't shot or beat anyone up in oh…" Chuck pauses to glance at his watch and then looks back up at Casey. "…since last week but I really think we should try something new. You said it yourself, every second lost we lose helping to save Graham." he added.

"Good point Chuck." said Travis as he points at him.

"I know that look Chuck..." responded Sarah. "…please don't tell me…"

The veteran agent cuts Sarah off in mid sentence. "All right Bartowski, what do you suggest then?"

Casey never really liked any of Chuck's plans because primarily they involved talking their way out of or into situations. He's more of a leave the talking out of it and fight your way in or out of a situation, which suited him just fine. Granted, he came out of it with acceptable losses such as a broken finger, nose, ribs, and the occasional concussion but it became part of the job that had been accustomed to over the years way before joining Team Chuck.

He had to give the dorky dimwit the benefit of the doubt though. There have times where his plans always seemed to work out although they tended to somehow screw up during or close to the end. Casey has a funny feeling in his gut that whatever he has planned its going blow up in his face somehow and he's going to have to bail him out once again like he's always done in the past.

"My plan is for us to walk up, knock on the door, and kindly introduce ourselves." he answered. "This guy has probably experienced so much negativity in his past that it's a bit of a shock to his system to experience some good old positivity for a change." Chuck added with a hint of a sheepish smile on his face.

Chuck pauses to witness their reaction from his teammates expecting their thoughts concerning his plan. From his point of view, it was somewhat hard to gauge at what their were thinking. As he look at Travis hunched over beside him, he has a contemplative look on his face as if he wants to say something but can't find the right words. Sarah, on the other hand, exudes a look of deep concern for him.

When the tall, lanky curly haired man turns his attention to Casey he wasn't really surprised at his reaction. It's the same reaction Klingons give when they're about to enjoy watching the cha'Dich and instead of being given to a knife to another in order to defend himself, he has only a file folder.

"Okay Mr. Rogers…" Casey grumbled. "…get at it since its your idea. We'll back you up from here and if you screw it up its your funeral." he added.

Chuck suddenly realizes opening his mouth wasn't such a good idea after all. He knew Casey would be thoroughly enjoying this and wouldn't stop him one bit from making an absolute fool of himself by not only running, but letting out a girlish scream at the same time. As he knelt there, he could hear him give a low auditory grunt 23, which is sadistic amusement. He couldn't back out now and if he even tried to by making some excuse he would most certainly hear about to no end from his burly antagonizer.

"I'm coming with him." Sarah quickly added.

"You're taking all the fun out of this for me Walker." Casey responded with disappointment. "Let, the kid do it alone."

Sarah turns her attention to Casey exuding a none to pleased look on her face. "Need I remind you I still have the pictures of you hand cuffed to the bed in Carina's hotel room in your boxers and I have no problem sending them to Jayne's cell phone." she emphatically stated. "So unless you want to spend the weekend giving a reasonable explanation as to why you're in handcuffs then I suggest you get off Chuck's back." she defiantly added in a low emphatic tone raising both her eyebrows and tilting her head slightly to the left.

"Oh snap!" said an amused Travis quietly celebrating what Sarah just did to her partner. "I want to see them."

Travis' amusement would quickly end when Casey responds with a menacing growl towards his direction. "Fine…" Casey turns his attention back to Sarah. "…but if he starts running I'm not chasing after him."

"I'm not going to run…" Chuck turns to look at Sarah as a hint of a smile appears on his face. "…as long as Sarah is with me."

The moment shared between the couple is suddenly interrupted by Casey. "Somebody shoot me and put me out of my misery." he grumbled.

Sarah, without even looking at Casey, extends her right arm with gun in hand aims it straight at him. "As you wish."

Casey stares down the barrel end of the gun and as he does so he thinks to himself that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to piss her off at this particular point. However, there is a part of him that thinks she wouldn't shoot him but would he even really take the chance? Added to the fact she has those pictures she took of him handcuffed to a bed in Carina's hotel room wouldn't sit well with Jayne.

Speaking of Jayne, he really didn't want to piss her off either. Over the years, he's experienced the wrath of the mafia, international drug lords, and high level dictators but incur the wrath of a woman such a beautiful, understanding woman such as Jayne Richardson is something he doesn't to have happen…ever. Its at this point that Casey decides to get on with the mission at hand.

"Later…" he stated using his two fingers to move the gun slowly away. "…you two have a job to do while we back you up." he calmly said.

XXX

Chuck and Sarah make their way up the wooden stairs of the porch with Sarah's weapon safely tucked behind her ready to be retrieved at a moments notice. The wooden steps themselves look worn out from being repeatedly walk on for quite a number of years. It didn't make Chuck feel any better that every time he planted his foot down basically putting all the pressure down on the wood itself it made a creaking sound.

It would be a sound that to him grew increasingly louder with each step. He made the attempt to try to shush them quiet in order for the wooden steps to stop creaking but it would inevitably be a seemingly futile attempt on his part. It would be foolish of him to continue shushing the steps knowing that Pulaski was possibly alerted the first time he heard the creak of the step from inside.

As they both are walking up heading towards the front door, Chuck gives a quick side glance at Casey and Travis who are positioned on either side of the cabin in anticipation that Pulaski may escape through either side windows. The two signal the power couple they are on point and told them beforehand if any sign it may remotely go wrong they'll spring into action.

The front door seemed so far to Chuck and yet it's just a few feet away. He couldn't help but notice that above Pulaski's front rests a sign that would be considered quite unsettling to him or anyone else for that matter. It wasn't a sign like Keep Out: Private Property, No Solicitors, or Beware Of Dog that cause him to feel the anxiety, panic, and fear slowly return as it would be something that would most certainly be engrained in his mind.

Those words causes him to take a long drawn out gulp and though difficult it is to him to do so because a part of him wants to puke his guts out at that particular moment he forces himself not to. Puke later Chuck you have a job to do. He momentarily closes his eyes as the two stand in front of Pulaski's door quietly screaming in his head to man up and not be freaked out about the sign that currently hangs above the door reading in bold black lettering TRESSPASSERS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT.

It didn't making the situation any better for him to not only keep repeating those words over and over in his head, but actually see those words clearly as day causes him to be even more pensive. Chuck curses his innate and albeit special ability to remember certain images even it was for just a split second to where it unknowingly earned him a interview with his former teacher/C.I.A. recruiter at Stanford Professor Flemming.

_Focus on something else Chuck_. He thinks to himself there is no point in blaming Flemming, Bryce, or even Jill for that matter because they aren't the ones who are about to stand in front of a professional sniper who once was a member of a covert ops unit. If anyone is to blame its himself because he actually came up with the stupid suggestion and now because of his big mouth he volunteered himself to go talk to the guy.

As a great of a plan it sounded to him out loud for the other 3 to hear, the reality of it all set in to where he not only could actually see himself repeatedly slapping himself in the face for actually coming up with an idea such as that, but ringing his own neck as well. Chuck wished there were times where he could create a wormhole like the one in the new Star Trek movie where the Romulan Nero from the future goes back in time in order to take revenge on a much younger Kirk and Spock, as well as, the older version of Spock from the future .

He could easily go back to that particular moment and just stop himself from ever even opening his mouth. However, he would have to give an explanation not so much to Travis but to Casey and Sarah as to why there were two Chuck Bartowskis in the same plane of existence standing before them. It would throw completely Casey for a loop Chuck thought to himself. One Chuck was all John Casey could ever really handle or tolerate but two Chucks would seriously send him off the deep end to the point where he could quite possibly suffer a brain aneurism.

Chuck's thought are suddenly interrupted when he feels the unmistakable soft touch of Sarah's hand caressing the back of his and if at an instant his panic stricken fears vanish causing to opens his eyes. With his eyes opened, he could see once again the reassuring and comforting smile of Sarah staring back at him. Chuck thought to himself he couldn't ever hide how scared he is from her or practically anyone for that matter.

Yet, despite his tendency to ring out girlish screams and his lack of fighting ability she loves him nonetheless. He truly is a lucky man and because of her Chuck has been able to perform acts of heroism he dare wouldn't event attempt to try before she ever came into his life. Disarming a bomb, landing a helicopter, scaling up and sawing down from buildings are just a number of things he's done either with or for her.

If it wasn't for her in his life, he would still be in Buy More feeling sorry for himself constantly reflecting back on the past concerning his broken friendship with Bryce, getting kicked out of Stanford, and most of all his ex Jill. It's at that point Chuck gazes into Sarah's eyes smiling at her as if to tell her thank you for all that she's done to which she reciprocates as well. When the moment is over, its Chuck who has the fortitude to knock on Pulaski's front door and indeed does that very thing.

XXX

Chuck and Sarah stand their waiting for Pulaski to open the door. It seemed as if they were waiting forever and yet it was just 10 seconds ago that Chuck knocked on the door. As she stand there on Chuck's right side, Sarah's instincts kick into high gear doing a mental checklist of what she could possibly use as a weapon in case she ran out of ammo. In addition to that, she thinks up a contingency plan on where to throw Chuck for his own safety in case a fire fight ensues.

She leans forward a bit taking a quick side glance to her left seeing Casey looking his usual fidgety self when it came to eagerly anticipating shooting, breaking, and/or hitting someone. The blonde agent could sense his impatience growing with every second that passed and if the pulsating vein on his forehead is any indication of how badly he wants the action to begin then Chuck may end up injuring his back or worse…his neck.

Sarah trusted her partner when it came to having her back in a fight. The rules and the delicacy of the situation would be thrown out the window. However, when it came to the delicacy of her relationship with Chuck the rules implied and would be followed to the letter or face the consequences. Ultimately, it is her conclusion that Casey would not be a suitable candidate to catch him because quite frankly he would intentially miss or just drop him altogether.

Her attention then turns to Travis who she takes another quick side glance to. Sarah sees him give a quick head nod in order to acknowledge that they are ready for anything to happen when Pulaski opens the door. For the past 6 months, she has witnessed his friendship with Chuck grow and though it could never compare to the bromance level of what she humorously referred to as Chorgan it would slightly come close.

Despite the earlier incident with Travis astonishingly revealing to the team he has known Chuck's big secret all along deeply concerned her. Trust is the glue that has been keeping Team Chuck together and to spring that bit of information put his credibility as someone to be trusted in serious jeopardy. Travis would have to prove that he can be trustworthy in a big way Sarah thought to herself.

The daughter of Jeremiah Wexler makes the decision to throw Chuck in Travis' direction knowing he would catch him once he falls over the right side of the porch to his waiting arms below. It would be just a matter of doing it quickly so he wouldn't have time to react and in order to do that she would have an already predetermined area on Chuck to grab him when or if all hell breaks loose.

She takes a quick glance sighting several possible areas to instantly reach for and then instantly swing him towards safety. It would take too much time to reach up and grab the back of his dark brown long sleeve shirt and his brown curly hair would be most definitely out of the question. After careful consideration she decides the best area to grab is the back of Chuck's pants and then place her right hand on his chest forcefully throwing him like a discus to Travis.

Sarah thought to herself that Chuck would totally be unaware of what she is planning. It wouldn't be anything new and she always had his best interests at heart in regards to his safety. She knows what she was doing and beside he would be eternally grateful for doing it. Plus, she always made it up to him in her own little way and he didn't complain about it knowing the smile she put on his face afterwards.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Chuck knocks on the door again. He looks down at her giving a reassuring smile silently telling that even though he scared out of his mind at the moment he's here for her. It's a touching sentiment that pulls at Sarah's heartstrings as it shows her how much respect and appreciation a guy like him has for a woman like her.

Its that respect and appreciation she never really received from Bryce. Sure, he loved her but not in the way she actually wanted to be loved. Chuck has been able to open not only her eyes to a whole new world of contentment when it comes being truly happy. How many women can say they have found the love of their life…their best friend…their soul mate…the guy who you can see yourself growing old with she thought to herself. _I do and standing right next to me_.

A hint of a smile begins growing on her face and as she is about to look up at Chuck she hears the faint sound of footsteps coming from within the cabin. Her smile quickly goes flat and immediately looks up at Chuck who apparently heard the same thing because from her point of view his whole body looks as if it has locked up. As the foot steps get increasingly closer to the door, she places her hand soft on Chuck's tense right shoulder and gives a look of assurances that everything will be okay.

The two stand there as they hear the door being unlocked, the sound of the doorknob being turned, and inevitably the creaking of the door as it slowly opens. At the same time the door slowly opens, Chuck take a deep breathe and holds for a couple second only to release when the door finally opens all the way with Pulaski standing right in front of them.

"Can I help you?" Pulaski asked.

XXX

Rand Pulaski, former Lt. and sniper of Archer's covert ops unit codenamed Wolverine, stands in front of Chuck and Sarah with both hands on his hips exuding a not so enthusiastic look on his face. He stands approximately 5'9 , dark eyes, MacGyverish length blonde hair, and sporting the grizzled woodsmen look.. He's wearing jeans, light brown hiking boots, and red long sleeve plaid button down shirt with the slows rolled up just below his elbows.

Chuck eyes immediately flutter and flashes once again seeing the same images he previously saw in the black S.U.V.

_A woodpecker…_

_An M40A3 sniper rifle…_

_Pulaski's dossier file…_

_Medical file with the words diabetes and release highlighted …_

_Discharge papers…_

_The woodpecker once again…_

With the flash quickly over, a look of suspicious curiosity appears on Pulaski's face. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine." Sarah nonchalantly said.

"Forgot my sunglasses and the sun got in my eyes…"Chuck nervously answered. "…how are you doing by the way?"

The spy couple notice Pulaski's demeanor growing weary causing Sarah to take the lead. "We're here in regards to Kirk Archer." Sarah said. "May we speak to you please?" she requested.

Sarah is keenly aware that when she mentions Archer's name it gets a slight reaction from him. Its enough of a reaction that tells her to keep her guard up as his body language begins to speak volumes.

"Sure…" Pulaski is about to step out of the door when he suddenly stops causing Chuck, Sarah and the two men on either side of the cabin to be on high alert. "…let me turn off my stove first and then I'll come out to talk with the both of you." responded Pulaski.

Pulaski closes the door leaving Chuck and Sarah standing there. Chuck steps back and turns his head towards Casey and gives him a sheepish smiles as if to silent send a message to him that being positive actually works. As he revels in what he thinks is a small victory for him Sarah hears a distinct sound that she knows all to well as an government agent from just behind the front door.

As a government agent, Sarah could always be able to easily distinguish not only the warnings signs of a bad situation, but the type of weapon being used as well. Her instincts immediately kick in when from behind the front door she hears the sound of a Mack 10 Bolt Action causing her to instantly reach behind an unsuspecting Chuck to grab the top of Chuck's pants in order to sling him back like a discus.

As Chuck feels himself being pulled backwards Sarah screams out her teammates name. "Travis, catch Chuck!"

Travis acknowledges Sarah command quickly positioning himself for the catch. Chuck has no idea what's going on at this point causing him to call out the woman who is giving him a wedgie. "Sarah!" Chuck frantically screamed as he's being pulled backwards.

Sarah doesn't hear Chuck at all because at the moment she's focus on getting Chuck to safety as she places her right hand on Chuck's chest using all the force she can muster to push him over the wooden porch rail down to hopefully the awaiting arms of Travis. At the same time that Chuck's momentum is going backwards, Sarah's momentum is going straight towards Casey.

The tough, blonde agent knows that a Mack 10 Bolt Action fires 50 rounds in just a few seconds. What she also knows is that its also the least accurate weapons if its in the hands of an amateur, but Pulaski is no amateur. By being able to pick up that sound from behind the door Sarah given herself at least a millisecond to avoid being shot if she is able to survive the 1st barrage of gunfire in her direction.

Her intuition is correct as the cabin door is riddled with bullets behind her causing door fragments to burst out. Sarah quickly glances behind to see not only Chuck legs up in the air as he falls backwards, but the file with the list of Archer's men as well. When she turns back she hears Chuck call her name once again and even though she can't see whether or not Travis caught him she has to trust that he has.

She continues running towards Casey's location all-the-while a firestorm of bullets follow her shattering both wood and glass mixing together in one chaotic mess. Sarah slings out her weapon from behind her and blindly rings out several shots of here own. With cat like reflexes she brings out her inner Olympic athlete as she sprints towards the left side of the porch rail grabbing the top of it with her left hand and vaults herself over the side twisting her body forward her right arm in order to ring out several more shots in the process.

Sarah braces herself for a hard impact but instead of feeling the ground she feels herself being caught. She turns her head back to see Casey who quickly puts her down leading both of them to hug the left corner of the cabin. The barrage of bullets suddenly stop giving her the opportunity to contact Travis in order to check if he was able to catch Chuck in time.

"Travis did you catch Chuck…" screamed Sarah into her watch. "…is he ok?

Her concerns are put to rest when she hears Travis' quickly respond back. _"Don't worry I got him!" _Travis screams back.

A smile appears on her face as she hears the faint voice of Chuck in the background. The smile soon falls flat as she looks at Casey who knows what she is thinking. The burly NSA agent radios Travis from his watch. "Travis!" Casey screams.

Casey hears Travis' voice as he quickly responds. _"Yeah!"_

"Create a diversion!" he screamed!

Once again Casey hears Travis' response from his watch.. _"Got it!"_

Sarah watches Casey suddenly get up and head straight to the back of the cabin but before he does she grabs him by his right arm "Casey, where are you going!"

"I'm going top side Walker!" he responded. "When Travis creates the diversion you know what to do." he added looking back at the window behind them.

She nods in acknowledgement as she watches Casey disappear around the pile of stacked logs heading towards the back of the cabin. On the other side of the cabin, Travis looks over at Chuck who is hugging the side wall of the cabin. Travis kicks in the lower part of the porch giving way to an opening for Chuck to stay in.

"Get in there and stay under the porch buddy!" he quickly stated kneeling down beside him. Chuck frantically nods and crawls in to the space underneath the porch. He turns around to see Travis take out another weapon inevitably holding it in his other hand. After taking a deep breathe he goes from a kneeling to a crouching position. He takes a quick check on Chuck who even though is in a frantic state he's okay. "Here's goes nothing!" Travis muttered to himself with both weapons in hand at the ready.

XXX

**_NOTE: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment._**


	17. A Leg Up

Travis leaps forward and with intensity in his eyes turns around extending both arms aiming his weapons at the outer façade of Pulaski's wooden cabin. He begins shifting to his right and as he does he unloads a barrage of bullets on the right outer façade of the cabin wall heading towards the window. His eyes are intently focused all-the-while keeping an eye on his footing so as to not mistakenly trip to where Pulaski ends up turning him into Swiss cheese. Travis' lead firestorm is countered by the blitzkrieg of bullets sailing towards his direction from Pulaski causing him to dive behind a pile of chopped wood.

The sudden sound of gunfire from the other side of the cabin is a signal to Sarah for her to jump into action. She takes a quick deep breath, glances at her weapon, and then leaps forward heading to a clump of trees several feet away from her. When she reaches her intended location she immediately turns around and stops for a just a brief moment. She closes here eyes for a few seconds and in that brief time several thoughts thought run through her mind while momentarily standing there before running towards the stack of logs that have been piled under the window.

The log themselves have been stacked in a way that essentially provided the steps in order for her to launch herself through the left side of the cabin window. _Watch your ankle Walker!_ She kept repeating that over and over in her mind. One wrong move could spell doom for the team she thought to herself. The risk of hurting or possibly breaking her ankle or both her ankles for that matter by placing her feet incorrectly on the logs would be 100%, especially in a situation they were currently in.

In her mind there would absolutely be no room for error because there is so much at stake right now she thinks to herself. Sarah, as a seasoned veteran with experience under her belt, could easily do it without any problems but as a fresh out of the academy rookie agent though, performing an unorthodox stunt like this without even checking the stability of the terrain which in this case is the stack of logs sitting a mere several feet in front her would cause her to abort and find a safer alternative.

However, finding a safer alternative isn't what is called for at this particular juncture. For an agent of the C.I.A. being safe is not a viable option in the fight for the greater good. When Graham assigned a potential mark in the past who was not only very dangerous, but was also someone she was ordered to seduce in order to get vital information from she complied without any hesitation knowing she had to do whatever it took to get it.

The reason that she threw caution to the wind so easily back in the day was because she didn't have any emotional attachment that caused her to second guess what she's doing. True, there was an attachment with Bryce but it was more of the physical sense and she knew back then as her partner they were unstoppable. They could face the adrenaline rush of danger head on knowing how, in a funny way, it would be an all out thrill for the both of them.

Bryce's image was quickly replaced by the image of someone in her life who gives her a thrill in every way. It's a type of thrill that goes far beyond parachuting into a foreign country like Jakarta under the cover of night or going undercover using her feminine wiles in order to capture gun runners selling weapons to the highest bidder, but are also out of U.S. jurisdiction. Essentially, the thrilling excitement that completely overshadows parachute jumps into Jakarta and seducing dangerous high profile gun smugglers in order to bring them back to the U.S. for prosecution would be something that she was hesitant at first to embrace.

To her, the thrill of love between her and Chuck would be something that gave her heart new life. Before ever meeting him, her life was empty devoid of meaning as her focus was mainly on the job itself. Its because of the job she kept all her feelings locked away and unable to express those emotions that were considered weaknesses in the field. It wasn't until she met Check those feelings and emotions began coming to the surface.

_Piece of cake_. Those were the words she remembered saying to herself walking into the Buy More. When she was spotted her mark after getting a picture oh him on her cell she arrogantly thought that she would be in and out no problem but little did she know how truly wrong she was. She had to admit it to herself that she fell for him and it started after he fixed her phone and way before he defused bombs with a computer virus

It was like any other assignment to her, but the assignment turned into something much more as she not only spent time with Chuck, but with his friends and family. She couldn't help but notice that the guy she was assigned to get close to was actually a nice guy and not to mention a funny one at that. She was actually genuinely amused when she walked up to Chuck listening to him rap Vicky Vale as Morgan stood there.

If she could pinpoint the exact moment she fell for him it would be when he helped the little ballerina girl and her frantic father. She thought to herself most guys would completely ignore the both of them to help an extremely beautiful woman but he didn't. She could tell in his eyes there was conflict in them as if there was battle going on within his conscience as who needed the help the most.

I'm glad he didn't chose to help me. In her mind, by not choosing her he showed her his genuine honesty and sincerity overlaid with doubt and lack of self confidence. In a way, he was able to bring out someone who she never thought she would see again and return she brought out the man who he should have been 8 years ago. Without a doubt, they bring out the best in each other giving both of them opportunity to start a life that doesn't involve lying to each other or hurting each other emotionally.

Its Chuck's love that has not only given her strength, but also the knowledge that no matter how dark the situation may seem at first everything will inevitably work out for the better in the end. Sarah thinks to herself the situation they're in now is dark but it will all work out in the end and it all starts with her getting into the cabin. Its at that point, Sarah opens her eyes with a look of absolute intensity and then sprints towards the stack of logs with her gun tightly gripped in her right hand with the window in her sights.

XXX

As Sarah runs towards the stack of logs she extends her right arm aiming her weapon at the window firing off three shots at point blank range giving her easy access to enter into the cabin itself. She quickly approaches the stacked logs placing her right foot forward first on to a hopefully stable log, lifts herself up, then does the same with her left foot, and when nearing the window she instinctively turns her upper body inward bracing for impact through the window.

The ballsy blond agent launches herself through the already bullet ridden window shattering it into pieces and lands inside. The impact of her entrance is heard Chuck from underneath the cabin porch by Chuck who is completely unaware of what's Sarah has just done. Her entrance causes him to jump from the sudden noise to where he hit's the back of his head on one of the support beams.

The all out chaos that is ensuing all around him causes him to quickly rethink ever using the tactic of being positive. The sound gun fire above and to the side of him causes him to worry about his teammates, but more importantly Sarah. He knows that she and Casey are preoccupied at the moment, so he cautiously pokes his head somewhat in the same fashion as a groundhog would be checking to see if it can see its shadow. In this case, instead of checking to see whether or not there will be six more weeks of winder, Chuck checks on the status of his fellow teammate Travis.

"Trav!" yelled Chuck from underneath the porch to his teammate who is currently pinned down behind a pile of chopped wood. "You okay!"

Travis quickly glances over the pile of chopped wood firing several more rounds before running out of ammo. As he ducks down releasing the empty clips from his weapons letting them fall to the ground in front of him the 4th member of Team Chuck leans back tightly against the pile of wood instantly taking out 2 fully loaded clips and within a snap of a finger pushes the new cartridges into their respective handles.

"Ask me later buddy…" responded Travis. "…as you can sort of tell I'm busy at the moment dude!" he added as he quickly turns his upper body to lean over to his left spraying the already bullet hole ridden right side of Pulaski's cabin with more bullets.

_Stupid question Chuck!_ The man who currently is underneath Pulaski' cabin wanted to help in any kind of way but didn't want to get shot in the process either. As he lay there in the dirt on his stomach, he couldn't help but wish to have a weapon in his hand to be a more active member of Team Chuck, but the feel or even the thought of a gun in his hand causes him to cringe.

He wanted to be a valued member of the team but using a gun wasn't his style at all. If he had his choice of a weapon to use that didn't have him putting bullets in it he would most definitely use the phasers from Star Trek. Instead of killing anyone, he could just set his phaser on stun and avoid seeing the sight of blood, which was considered unavoidable in the line of duty he's currently in.

If he had to pick the type of phaser to use, it would come down to a choice between the old school years with Kirk or the new school years with Picard, Sisko, and Janeway. To Chuck, it's a tough choice to make to where you can most certainly have in depth hour long debates, which he and Morgan have had since they were little kids. Which do you chose: the classic or the better upgraded version?

Chuck knew if he brought the question up to Morgan, he would be in for a long debate the likes of which not only surpass such epic debates as Voltron vs. Godzilla, as well as if its a good idea to bring mayo to a deserted island. Thinking about though, the phaser debate may very well cause Casey's head to explode during the days of having Ellie's bugged. He was extremely thankful though, that the days of Casey no longer bugging his house now that he and Sarah are living together made him feel good basically for deeply personal reasons.

Just to be on the safe side I'm going to sweep the place for bugs especially in their bedroom Chuck thinks to himself. His thought were suddenly interrupted the sound of a glass breaking and something big crashing down from inside of the cabin. He assumed it was big because it caused the entire cabin to shake. The sound of feet pounding on wood and gun fire intensify the already chaotic atmosphere causing Chuck to duck back underneath the porch.

As he backs deeper underneath the porch, a small beam of light shining from underneath the cabin itself towards the ground catches his eye. Chuck knew by investigating the beam of light he could possibly put himself in more danger and he was specifically told to stay under the porch. Unfortunately, like the car he didn't listen as his curiosity gets the better of him as he moves towards the light.

XXX

The all out battle gun going on between Sarah and Pulaski within the cabin intensifies with the appearance of Casey who literally dropped out of the sky by way of the skylight on the roof. Before Casey showed up, it was Sarah who made her entrance into the cabin through the window, inevitably landing, and then doing am immediate barrel roll to not only avoid gun fire, but towards some cover, which was right behind the couch in the living room.

The second she crashed through Pulaski window, she knew his attention would turn from Travis to her. After quickly recovering from crashing through the window, she immediately discharged her weapon towards the other side of the house where Pulaski was currently located at. Whether or not she hit him was inconsequential because her main objective was to locate his exact whereabouts in the cabin.

From behind the couch, she slowly and cautiously peers out from left side of the couch as sporadic gunfire is directed her way hitting pieces of furniture in front of her along with the couch she's currently behind. As she returns fire, Sarah does a quick scan of the room from behind the couch and from what she could see she was able to take into account places where Pulaski is taking cover in order to avoid being hit himself.

From her point of view, there is a rather large grandfather clock facing her, which is close to the right center of the room situation near a horizontal support beam. Another area he could possibly taking cover is the desk near the far right window and lastly is the bar located back left corner next to a bedroom. She quickly eliminates the idea of him taking cover at the bar after taking a close look over at the mirror hanging at the end of the bar on the wall. From her vantage point, she no signs of him in there except the broken pieces of liquor bottles strewn about the floor.

She then eliminates the idea of him taking cover behind his desk due to the fact that she can clearly see the open space that a chair should be in but was apparently pushed to the side in order to shoot at Travis outside. A big man like Pulaski would clearly be seen by her giving way to the only possibility of where he could be which behind the grandfather clock situation near the right center of the room.

The sporadic gunfire suddenly stops as its replaced by an eerie sounding silence to the room. Other than the heavy breathing, broken pieces of furniture falling to the ground, and ammo cartridges being replaced, the sound of Pulaski's grandfather clock silently tick away. In a way, the ticking of the clock paralleled with the lull of the shootout represented time ticking away for either Sarah, Pulaski, or the both of them.

Its not going to be me she thought to herself. The C.I.A. agent shook her head at the thought of not being able to accomplish her mission and all that she's been through in the past 24 hours in order to get to this exact point. Her efforts weren't going to be hindered not by Graham's secretary and damn sure not by a former member of Archer's unit who is ticking her off.

It was now or never in her mind as she prepared herself to exchange gunfire once again. As if on cue, the grandfather clock chimes as Sarah and Pulaski emerge from behind their respective safe spots unloading their ammo at one another. As this happens, pieces of wood, glass, light fixtures, couch interior are flying everywhere increasing the amount of damage to the interior of the cabin.

After a few moments there is silence once again a lull in the firefight. Sarah finds that she has only 5 bullets left and all her clips have been used up. Even though she has know idea how much ammo Pulaski has, she knows she has to try make her last 5 count. It was another risk she was willing to take and with that she emerges from behind the couch shifting immediately to left unknowingly discharging all 5 shots towards Pulaski's location all-the-while running to the bar.

At the same time she does that, Pulaski emerges ringing out several shots of his own as Sarah dives on to the bar inevitably falling behind hit. Sarah quickly checks the ammo cartridge in her gun and finds its empty causing her to do some immediate quick thinking. She looks around behind the bar to use anything for a weapon. She could hear footsteps getting closer as she crouches behind it and after intently looking around she finally spots something to use.

Pulaski cautiously walks up to the bar with both hands tightly gripping his gun. His eyes are intently focused in the area where Sarah fell and when he approaches Sarah emerges slowly standing up hold up her weapon in right hand. The former sniper to an elite covert ops unit momentarily has a hint of a smile appear in the corner of his mouth but quickly fades away exuding a look of seriousness.

"Put your gun on the table…"ordered Pulaski. " and then step around slowly." he added emphatically stressing on the word slowly. Sarah complies with Pulaski's order as she places the gun down on the bar and then slowly makes her way around with both hands behind her head. She walks sideway keeping direct eye contact with him as she makes her way to the end of the bar. The once hardened agent walks towards Pulaski with her hands up and doesn't attempt to make any sudden moves. When she reaches him standing just a few feet away she not only sees the barrel end of his fun, but also the appearance of Casey through the skylight. "Contact your team and tell them to stand down or you will be killed. " demanded Pulaski. "…now!"

Pulaski watches as Sarah put her finger in her left ear in order to make contact with her team. Sarah, instead of contacting her team, quickly takes out a barbeque lighter seemingly out of nowhere, lights it, and spits out a substance creating a fireball that heads directly at Pulaski. The same time that happens Casey crashes through the skylight landing on the sniper who not only turned away just in time from getting burned, but his weapon discharge in the air in the process thankfully not hitting anyone.

Casey and Pulaski end up in the middle of the living room floor in all out grapple hold fighting for the gun as they each exchange head butts. Sarah rushes to help kicking the gun from both their hands. She then gets right in the mix but in her attempts to help her partner take him down she gets kicked hard both in the gut and face. Its enough of a hard kick that allows Pulaski to, elbow Casey in the face and knee him in the gut causing him to momentarily loosen his grip to where he flip himself backwards to free himself for the N.S.A. agent's clutches.

Thinking that he has the upper hand, he rushes over to the kitchen grabbing the weapon and immediately turns round just as Casey and Sarah approach. The two agents quickly stop in their tracks in front of a bullet ridden couch as he aims his weapon directly at the both of them. "I'm going to say this again, tell your team to stand down or I'm going to shoot the both of you." emphatically demanded Pulaski. "Tell whoever else is out there to come in here. No funny business or else." he added.

Sarah, with great reluctance, contacts the last two remaining members of her team. "Chuck…Travis…stand down and come in here."

After a few moments, footsteps our heard at the front door. It then opens wide with Travis standing there hands up in the air completely weaponless. He walks slowly over to where Casey and Sarah are but stands a bit off to the right. As he stands there with his teammates a questionable look appears on Pulaski's face.

"Where's the other guy? You know, the tall, lanky one who was standing with you?" he inquired looking directly at Sarah.

Sarah is about to answer when Travis interjects. "He ran off when the shooting started." responded Travis. "He's probably hiding in the woods somewhere."

"What!" stated Sarah in disbelief.

"Figures." grunted Casey.

"Quiet, all of you!" Pulaski yelled out. "I'll deal with him later. Tell me did Archer send you?" All 3 teammates don't say a word leading Archer to raise his weapon aiming straight at Sarah. "I repeat, did Archer send you!" he forcefully repeated.

Pulaski stands there waiting for an answer but doesn't get one. They all can tell his patience is wearing thin by the growing anger on his face. Their refusal to cooperate leaves him no choice but to eliminate the threats that stand before him. He takes a deep breathe and just as he's about to pull the trigger Travis suddenly sounds off.

"Wait! I forgot to mention something."

"Shut up moron!" barked Casey.

Travis ignores Casey because he doesn't see what he sees from his vantage point. "Remember when I said the other guy ran off when the shooting started?" Pulaski along with Casey and Sarah turn their attention to Travis. "Well, he didn't…" Travis briefly paused. "…NOW CHUCK!"

As Travis yells his name, Chuck emerges from a secret hatch on the floor underneath the kitchen table and immediately grabs Pulaski's right leg. The sudden appearance of Chuck takes Pulaski completely by surprise as he looks down to see the same man who was standing at the front door bear hugging his leg. He aims his weapon towards Chuck but his attention is averted in front of him by the sound of 3 members of Team Chuck rushing forward tackling Pulaski causing him to fire off a few more rounds up in the air.

Pulaski falls backwards on to the kitchen table along with Casey, Sarah, and Travis, which subsequently moves the tables several feet back from its original spot. The burly N.S.A agent immediately takes his weapon away and hits him with the butt of the gun instantly knocking him out. As he has Pulaski covered, Sarah and Travis walk over to see an amusing sight. Sarah walks over in front of him, kneels down, and places her hand on Chuck's head rubbing his brown, curly locks. The harsh intensity in her voice is now replaced with a gentle softness.

"Chuck, hey you can open your eyes now."

"Is it safe?" Chuck asked still with his eyes closed.

She leans in whispering in his ear. "Yes it is and I'm very proud of you."

Chuck could feel her smile on his cheek as he slowly opens his eyes as he stands there in the opening of the escape hatch. When he fully has them opened he sees Sarah smiling causing him to smile back. He slowly turns back to his right to see Casey hovering over the body of Pulaski sprawled out on top of the kitchen table. His smile suddenly goes flat as he look of confusion on his face.

"If he's over there, then what am I holding on to?" he wondered looking up at a Sarah and Travis smiling at him.

He looks over to his left to find that he's been tightly embracing Pulaski's prosthetic leg. At first, he's surprised then after a brief movement a sheepish smile appears on his face as he holds up the sniper's fake leg as a trophy of sorts. He hears over his shoulder Casey give grunt 25 which is amazed disbelief but he doesn't care as he revels in what he just did.

"Dude…" Travis interrupts his buddy's accomplishment to get his attention and does indeed do so. "…it brings a whole new meaning to getting a leg up on the situation doesn't it?" said Travis with amusement.

XXX

As Chuck sat on top of the kitchen table with the file sitting next to him, he reflected back on how the past 20 minutes have been truly chaotic. Looking around, there wasn't anything really left to sit on but the kitchen table because all the couches were riddled with bullet holes. Despite that though, he couldn't but smile know it was by his own efforts that the situation ended but he knew reality would once again in the form of Casey.

In Casey-like fashion he congratulated him by calling him a numb nut, tells him he nearly got himself killed for pulling a stupid stunt like that, and disobeyed orders for him to stay under the porch. Yet, he knows that Casey is proud of him even though he doesn't out right show or say it for that matter. Once the current situation was locked down, they immediately fanned out searching his cabin finding an assortment of weapons such as sniper rifles, explosives, hand guns, and a rocket launcher.

The weapons were brought out in the living room and after catching their breathe, Casey took it upon himself to wake up Pulaski by pouring water in his face. When he came to, it was Sarah instead of Casey who questioned him and she along with everybody else on Team Chuck found out that he's more an ally than an enemy.

"Why didn't you tell me you guy are hunting down Archer?" inquired Pulaski as he sits in a chair in the kitchen reattaching his prosthetic leg.

"We would have but you started shooting at us before we could explain ourselves further." Sarah responded.

A somewhat apologetic look appears on Pulaski's face. "Sorry about that. I was protecting myself?"

"From what heavily armed woodland creatures…" Chuck retorted as he looks ever at the cache of weapon in the living room. "…you live out in a pretty secluded wooded area near a lake."

"Who actually." he said. Pulaski finishes attaching his prosthetic leg and then stands up with his hands on the side his hips. "I'm protecting myself from Archer."

"Why?" asks Sarah.

"I was medically discharged from his unit because of health issues concerning my diabetes." Pulaski pauses as he turns around to walk towards the open front door. He crosses his arms as he looks outside at the lake. "Long story short my right leg needed to be amputated and it took me a long time to accept the fact that I'm no longer the man I used to be." he solemnly stated. "My Wolverine days are behind me and I've basically been off the grid living my life here in peace ever since until he showed up at my front door."

"When?" asked Casey.

"6 months ago."

"What did he want?" inquired Travis.

Pulaski glances back at Travis and then turns his attention back towards the lake. "He tried to recruit me to rejoin the team and capture Graham for his betrayal but I refused." he answered shaking his head. "I told him that I'm done and nothing he said would convince me otherwise."

"What was his response?" wondered Chuck.

"He threatened me by saying once you're in the pack you can never leave. He reiterated the point by getting in my face and stating that if you're not with him then be prepared to get hunted by him." responded Pulaski.

The response Pulaski gives sends a chill down Chuck's spine. To have someone appear after a long period of time who you've fought along side in combat and threaten to kill you for not rejoining the team in order capture Graham was bold on his part. It was truly unimaginable for him on how Pulaski has been living out here in seclusion in a constant of alertness knowing that at any moment Archer would have him eliminated either by his own hand or by the hands of his own personal executioners.

Chuck quickly shakes those thoughts out of his head. He picks up the file sitting next to him and takes out a piece of paper. "Here's a list of Archer's men and we need you to share with us who is currently with him." he requested holding it out for him to look over.

Pulaski walks over towards Chuck taking the paper and scans it. After a few moments, he looks up. "From what I read he has at least half of these people on the list working with him." he said with a looks seriousness. "The others are either dead or have completely vanished from the face of the earth." he added shaking his head.

"Back to square on one." muttered a frustrated Casey.

"Not necessarily." responded Pulaski.

"How so?" asked Chuck with curiosity.

Pulaski scans the list once again and then taps the paper as he looks up at Team Chuck. "There is one person who is not on this list. He's considered an unofficial member of Archer's unit." he said. "He and Archer are tight."

"What's his name?" Travis asked.

"Malcolm Mudd or M.M. for short."

Chuck eyes flutter and immediately flashes on the following images:

_A chess piece…_

_The name Mudd's Pawn Shop…_

_A map…_

_A cache of weapons…_

_Photos of him making deal with individuals…_

_Finally the chess piece once again._

"Malcolm Mudd, an arms dealer who sells weapons on the black market to anyone who can pay. He own a pawns shop and wouldn't you know its in the D.C. area." Chuck quickly spitted out.

Pulaski is amazed at the information Chuck gave. He hands back the list of names back to Chuck. "Let me guess you're some type of government analyst?" he said pointing at Chuck.

"Yeah…" he said with a sheepish smile. "…something like that."

"I thought so, never really pegged you as agent material." Upon hearing that Casey gives an amusing Grunt causing Chuck to respond with a quick "yeah yeah I know look" of his own towards him." "No offense." he added.

"None taken. I do contribute to the team though…" Chuck said looking directly at Casey. "…in surprising ways."

Team Chuck shakes Pulaski's hand and are about to leave out the front door when he stops them. "Do me a favor take Archer down and bring Graham back alive. " he said. "He may be an ass but he's a tough ass who is a good guy."

"Thanks and we will." said Travis. "Sorry about the cabin." he added looking around at the utter devastation.

"I'm not…" Pulaski answered expressing a smile. "…this cabin used to belong to my wife and I. We had a lot of good times here until we got divorced. Everything in here is hers, except the bar. Too bad about the liquor though." he added placing his hands in his pant pockets exuding a look of disappointment.

"What a waste." Casey muttered under his breathe looking at the wasted alcohol spilled on the floor.

"Before we leave, I'll call to have a clean up crew sent over to repair and replace what's been damaged." said Sarah.

Pulaski is taken aback by what he hears from Sarah. "Much appreciated. I won't have to look at that stupid grandfather clock or anything of hers again.

"Glad we could help." amusingly said Chuck who reaches out to give him a handshake. Pulaski reciprocates. When the handshake is over Chuck feels something in his right hand. "What's this?" he asked with curiosity.

"Just in case you are ever in a tight spot, give me a call." Pulaski said

Chuck shakes the card in his right hand in the air and then sticks it in his pocket. He walks over grabs the file on the kitchen table and as he passes Pulaski he's handed the list of names back to him. Pulaski watches the rest of Team Chuck pass him heading out and straight out the door on the way back to the black S.U.V. Their next stop…Mudd's Pawn Shop.

XXX

_**NOTE: This was a longer chapter that I wrote and I enjoyed writing this particular one. Can't wait for the new episode of Chuck Monday night. From the promos of Vs. The Honeymooners it looks awesome. Anyways, enjoy the read and please leave a comment.**_


	18. Taking Care Of Business

It was around 3 p.m. when Team Chuck arrived back at the S.U.V. The last hour or so have been hair raising to say the least and at the same time very informative. It would be all due to the helpful cooperation of Rand Pulaski who possibly became a new ally for the team and despite starting off on the wrong foot, so to speak, in the form an all out firefight the situation turned out for the best.

The team took a moment to regroup with Travis, Casey, and Sarah located at the back of the open S.U.V. where a small assortment of weapons lay snug, as well as, safely secured in their individual compartments. Travis and Sarah are busy replenishing the lack of ammo into their respective weapons during the exchange of gunfire. As Sarah is placing new cartridges in her gun, she's on the phone with a clean up crew while Casey is on the phone with General Beckman informing them on their current situation.

Chuck, on the other hand, sat back in his spot in the S.U.V. with the door open taking a bit of a breather. He sat there leaning sideways against the door frame with his right leg supporting his right arm draped on it with his left leg firmly planted on the ground outside. He took the time to seriously decompress from the situation back at Pulaski's cabin and as freaked out as he was, he was able to come out unscathed.

As he does, he decides to quickly check at the office and see how everything is going. He takes his Iphone out and notices that he not only has a voicemail message, but a text message as well. When he clicks on it, he notices a slew of unread messages from his secretary Beverly Kim. He knew by vast number of text messages he received it must be concerning about Morgan.

There is a look of hesitancy on his face on whether or not to even open it knowing full well what it would be about. He knew in previous text messages he received from Kim the language and imagery of her anger, as well as frustration towards Morgan whenever he put her in charge was in the past down right disturbing. So disturbing in fact that he actually contemplated at one point sending her to see a shrink for psychiatric evaluation.

He decided to read the latest text he received and after opening it he read the following message from her: _Mr. Bartwoski, please give me permission to torture the furry little bastard. RESPOND ASAP! _He continued to scroll down text after text she sent opening to them find similar messages concerning how she wants to either punch, kick, torture, and at one point disembowel his best friend.

The brown haired business owner couldn't help but think how ruthless his secretary could be if he gave her the green light to torture him. Although, it may not be a mental type of torture like in the episode "Chain of Command" where Picard was trapped and then ruthlessly tortured into saying that there were 5 lights shining at him instead of 4 by the Cardassian Gul Madred played perfectly by actor David Warner.

To Chuck, that particular episode gave him a whole new respect for Patrick Stewart playing Picard giving an outstanding performance in which he had to withstand a level of torture that left him nearly physically and mentally broken. Madred tried his best to break him in order to find out the defense plans for Minos Korva but he didn't tell them.

At the end of the episode it was Picard who, in his weary state before returning to Enterprise, looked directly at the lights, then him, emphatically stated there were 4 lights, and as he turned to walk out under his own power he shoved one of the Caradassian guards away refusing his assistance.

In Chuck's mind, to be able to show Madred that he could not be broken only to find out later during his talk with Counselor Troi in his quarters that he wanted to say it showed him that even the toughest, strong willed person can be broken. What it came down to for Picard was being given the choice of either being comfortable or more torture and all he had to do was say there were 5 lights. How could have he not win an award for that episode Chuck thought to himself.

Chuck's thoughts concerning that episode were quickly pushed aside in order to deal with the real life torture that his secretary may actually inflict on his furry little bearded buddy. Granted, Morgan has given her enough incentive to do it after doing some pretty stupid things in the past only to have him step in on his behalf. He decided not to listen to the voice mail messages and ended up deleting everything that was sent.

He instantly knew he had to defuse a highly volatile situation before it interrupted into something full scale where all his employees turned against Morgan. Chuck checked his watch and immediately knew that it would be right around lunch time. All his employees would be at lunch with the exception of Beverly Kim who usually brought lunch with her giving him the perfect opportunity to call her at the office.

He scrolls down his phone book highlighting Kim's number and the places the call. Chuck didn't really know what he was going to hear on the other end of the phone and as much as she is able to handle problems in the office concerning employees with absolute professionalism her patience would be sorely tested when it came to him. After hearing a dial tone for a few seconds the other end picks up with the sound of a woman at her wits end on the other end.

_"Mr. Bartowski, I'm going to kill him!"_ Kim quickly screamed.

Chuck could clearly hear the frustration in her voice as he goes from spy mode into boss mode. "You're not going to kill him…" Chuck calmly stated. "…and waterboarding is definitely out of the question because as you know its been deemed illegal."

Kim responds with an agitated exhale. _"At least let me tie him to a chair and pluck out the tiny little hairs from his beard one by one." _she begged.

"Breath Bev." said Chuck. "Do you have your stress ball with you?" he added.

The sound of deep breathing is heard on the other end of the phone. After several seconds Kim's voice is heard once again. _"I don't have my stress ball….anymore."_

"Why?" asked Chuck with curiosity.

_"I busted it."_

Kim's response caused Chuck's eyes to widen. He knew that without her stress ball she wouldn't have the ability to release all the pent up stress she's experiencing or she would end up actually choking the life out of his best friend. Its at that point, Chuck found himself in a bit of quandary to the power where he needed to call two people for assistance. _I'm going to need to call for back up._

XXX

"Bev, I need you to do something for me." asked Chuck.

There was a momentary pause on the other end of the line. _"What is it Mr. Bartowski?"_

"Can you tell me where Morgan is?" he requested.

Chuck briefly hears silence on the other end of the line leading Chuck to think she's possibly looking at her watch _"Ms. Wu picked him up for lunch."_

"Did he say where they both would be going?" Chuck inquired.

_"No sir. After all…" _She briefly pauses. _"…he is second in command and according to him he doesn't have to provide that bit of information." _she said with a hint of disdain in her voice.

Chuck knew that by agreeing to Morgan bestowing himself as his second in command it would cause tension amongst his employees, especially his secretary who he would actually put in charge during his absence. Granted, he did a good job as assistant manager at Buy More under the return leadership of Big Mike but things have certainly changed with him now as one of his employees.

During his seemingly short stint as Buy More Manager, he not only had to contend with Morgan's antics but Jeff and Lester's as well. Chuck didn't know how Big Mike was able to keep not only his sanity in check working all these years with such a cavalcade of slackers and underachievers, but also keep the store itself from going under when the employees were off doing their own thing leaving the store practically unattended.

Its amazing how anything got done with all the employees either in the break room cheering on Morgan eating an unknown food item in the employee fridge or in the cage area having a Thunder Dome style competition all during business hours no less. Under normal circumstances, people would be fired for wasting company time but at Buy More those set of circumstances seemingly don't apply.

In any case, Morgan is an acquired taste he thought himself. It just a matter of getting past the sour aftertaste to the point where you become absolutely numb to everything he says or does for that matter. Truth be told, he rarely ever makes a good first impression whereby making the first initial meeting between he and Beverly Kim very awkward to say the least.

It doesn't make a good first impression when you accidentally spill grape soda on her jacket and try to clean it off only to get slapped in the face for inadvertently touching her in the area that get you kicked in the cahones. Come to think of it, all throughout their childhood his intentions we're most of the time considered good but they tended to end up back firing either on him or the both of them.

One particular memory that stands out to him was back in their sophomore year in high school. He decided to run for sophomore class president and not wanting to be left out Morgan insisted that he become his campaign manager. Chuck reluctantly agreed and made Morgan promise not to go overboard because he knew how pumped up he gets when he is given some major responsibility.

He ran against fellow sophomore Kira Lelfer who was considered amongst her classmates as friendly, studious, having great ideas concerning class trips, and very conscience about the environment establishing several clean up/recycling clubs which were highly successful. He had to hand it to her for running a clean campaign intertwining her passion for the environment.

His campaign, on the other hand, focused more on getting better food for the cafeteria. In any case, There was an agreement beforehand for both sides to run clean campaigns against each other, which they did. It wasn't until the middle of the campaign that a rumor was spread around not only to the sophomore class, but the entire school that Kira wasn't friendly to the environment.

Photos were plastered all over lockers showing the supposed truth causing potential votes to go his way. The pictures themselves were very convincing but on closer inspection it looked fake as if they were scanned in. Chuck immediately talked to Morgan who denied any wrong doing on his part but when he went to his house for their usual after school video game session the evidence was there sitting right on his desk.

It was right then and there he fired Morgan as his campaign manager but still kept him as his best friend. In addition to that, he made the decision to drop out of the race for sophomore class president in respect for all that Kira went through. After she won the election by default he made Morgan apologize. He didn't speak to Morgan for a couple of days after that but he eventually forgave him.

Morgan Grimes isn't that bad. Its just he acts before ever thinking it through and despite those particular faults he is a loyal friend to have by your side he thinks to himself. A friendship that has lasted for over 23 years with rocky moments in between but he has never given up on him and vice versa. Chuck suddenly realized he was lost in thought and responded to his secretary.

"Don't worry Bev..." he said. "…I'll handle it."

_"Please do for Morgan's sake." _she emphatically stated expressing frustration in her voice.

XXX

It took some doing but eventually Chuck was able to calm his secretary down. He knew Morgan could get under people skin to where people like Casey wanted to ring his neck or possibly send him to an underground bunker somewhere. However, the level of anger Kim was experiencing caused the brown haired business owner to take precautionary measures as he dials the one person who has had experience dealing with Morgan.

_"Hey little brother…" _Ellie cheerfully responded."_ "…how is your business trip going so far?"_

"Interesting." Chuck wasn't lying as the past several hours were like any other mission involving being shot at and doing something heroic in order to save his team. "Things got off to a rocky start in the beginning but I potentially have a new business associate for the team." he said.

_"Congratulations. I'm proud of you."_

"Thanks sis." To hear the positive praise coming his sister's voice made him feel good. He has heard her praise him before but not anything like this. Ever since Sarah stepped into his life, Ellie has been overly supportive about their relationship to the point where she even went as far to emphatically state that you can never go too far in fighting for someone you love. The positive praise continued when she found out that he quit the Buy More and started up his own business. In his view, he was no longer seen as Ellie's screw up little brother who got caught cheating and got kicked out of Stanford but rather business owner Chuck Bartowski who is finally getting his life back together after 8 long years. "Listen, I got tell you something."

_"Is Sarah pregnant!"_ she quickly stated.

The question completely threw Chuck off causing him to step out and stand just a few feet away from the black S.U.V. in clear view of Sarah. "What…no…Sarah is not pregnant." he quickly and loudly responded back.

Chuck's loud response got the attention of Travis and Casey who immediately look at Sarah. She shakes her head and then quickly turns her attention to her other half who is exudes a sheepish smile due to his unfortunate faux pas. The brown eyed business owner waves his hand as he continued his conversation with Ellie.

_"Sorry, is Sarah there?"_ she inquired.

"Yes she is and thanks for awkward moment sis." Chuck glances at Sarah and then turns around. "Don't get me wrong when it happens you'll be the first to know." he quietly said into the phone.

_"I'm holding you to that. So what is it you have to tell me?"_

"Code Beard" he calmly stated.

Chuck developed a code word whenever Morgan antics would become a major problem. In case of an emergency such as being out of town on a "business trip", he would call to inform her about Morgan. _"What did he do now?" _asked a concerned Ellie.

"I forgot to ask but I know it caused Bev to break her stress ball."

_"That's not good."_

"Ya think."

_"All right I'm on it. Is she still at the office?"_

"Yeah, I calmed her down the best I could."

_"Okay, I'll head over there now with Cass."_

"Cool, let me speak to her for sec."

The sound of the phone being transferred is heard on his end of the line. After a brief moment Chuck hears the voice of Cassidy._ "What's up Chuckles?"_

"Hey Cass, just wanted to let you know we're okay and we have a definite lead in possibly finding Graham."

_"That's great, you're taking care of business as usual."_

Chuck knew that Ellie would possibly be standing next to or near her so Cassidy responded in a way that she wouldn't be revealing too much all with a smile on her face. It was something she got used to over a 6 month period. "Oh and Sarah's not pregnant by way."

_"No worries and if she was I'd be the first to be told since I am her sister…" _Cassidy pauses._ "…right?"_

"Of course."

_"See you two back on Friday and bring the birthday girl back safely." _she said. _"I mean it or you'll answer to me." she adds with a hint of laughter._

That was no joke Chuck thought himself. He knew Cassidy meant every word concerning the safety of her little sister even though she knew she could take care of herself. Yet, she put the responsibility on him to take care of her being that he is the man in her life. Truth to be told as intimidating as Casey is, it doesn't even compare to Cassidy and the intimidation she exudes when she truly wants to be.

As much as he has grown as a person and a spy, being able to deal with menacing individuals was something he wanted to work on. It took a while to get used to Casey and all his grunt moods but he is still be able to make him jumpy. However, when it came to Cassidy, she's the type of menacing individual that would make any hardened solider like Casey cry like a baby.

Chuck has never really seen or experienced for that matter the menacing business side of Cassidy and doesn't ever want to. He, for the most part, would like to encounter the sweet, soft down to earth side of her and leave the business side at work. In his mind, Cassidy needed someone in her life to break up the monotony of her life that is mainly about work and knowing Ellie she would do just that.

"I promise Cass and see you Friday."

He hung up the phone and then turned around to find Sarah standing behind him. Sarah's sudden appearance startled him immensely causing him to nearly drop his Iphone on the ground. Chuck notices her right eyebrow cock silently asking him what was all that about and just as he's about to speak up his Iphone rings. When he looks down to see who is calling him its Morgan. _Great timing Morgan._

XXX

"Morgan…" Chucks said as he turns around once again in order to talk with his bearded best friend. "… what's up buddy!"

_"I've been trying to reach you dude."_

"Yeah, I've been busy with meetings and all that. I've had my cell phone on vibrate practically the whole day." retorted the lanky business owner.

_"Listen, can I ask you something."_

"Shoot."

_"Did you join the mile high club with Sarah?"_

Chuck had a very perturbed look on his face causing him to actually look at the phone he was talking on. Of the many question to ask, that one would be considered something personal and as a gentlemen he had an obligation to not kiss and tell. "Morgan focus and tell me the real reason you're calling me."

_"Your secretary called you didn't she?"_ asked Morgan with a hint of innocence in his tone of voice.

"What did you do?" questioned Chuck.

_"Wha…I…didn't do anything persay…"_

The one thing Chuck knew about Morgan is that he wasn't able to hide anything from him. Since the time they were little kids, he didn't have the ability to lock down certain secrets from him unless those particular secrets were his. In a way, he considered himself like Counselor Deanna Troi who could able to sense what others were feeling or when they were hiding something for that matter because he is after all a Bartowski.

Morgan isn't the type of person who exudes authority but rather tries to make people as happy, as well as comfortable as they can be. True, it usually involves playing Call of Duty on the XBOX 360, splitting an order of sizzling shrimp, snacking on string cheese afterwards, and capping it off with a case of grape soda. He exudes more of the friendly morale officer type like that of the Star Trek Voyager character the Talaxian Neelix.

Thinking about it further, he and the fictitious character Neelix have a few things in common as they both have the ability to cook, as well as they're pension for finding themselves in hot water by not only their words, but also actions. Plus, they both tend be tolerable with a mixture of amusement and frustration when they try to boost someone's spirits only to get either a bug off look or in this case for Morgan a bug off grunt from Casey.

He always wondered if Morgan and Casey were to ever be fused together, which is highly unlikely, like Neelix and Tuvok did forming Tuvix because of a transporter mishap how they would coexist as one entity. He put several names together none of which fit but one did and if by some freak accident Morgan and Casey were to be somehow fused together they would be forever known as Morsey.

As humorous as that particular thought is, he could imagine Casey intentionally hurting/injuring Morgan and find it utterly amusing even though he would be technically hurting/injuring himself. Casey would definitely consider it an acceptable loss knowing he would be causing harm to the furry little beard man. In any case, Chuck's thoughts concerning two people fusing together were quickly set aside as he focused back on his best friend.

"Spill it Morgan." interjects Chuck.

_"Okay…"_ There is a brief pause on the other end. _"…there was a fire but it was contained."_

Chuck closed his eyes and begins rubbing his forehead. He knew if he asks him what happened he would not like what he's going to hear and its never a good thing when it starts out with the words here's the thing. He took the chance and asks anyway. "What happened?"

_"Here's the thing…"_ As soon as Chuck heard those three words it was going to go all down hill from there. A painful look completely washes all over Chuck's face as he prepared to hear what happened. _"…since I'm you're second in command I thought I would do a surprise fire drill because we haven't had one in a while." _he stated.

"Morgan, in the 6 months that Whiz Kid, Inc. has been open we've never had a fire drill and quite frankly never really needed one." Chuck responded. "Why on earth would possess you to do such a thing?" he adds with an ere of disappointment in his voice.

_"Well…"_ The bearded man began explaining what happened and as he does a mixture of confusion, disappointment, and anger appeared on Chuck's face. As his explanation continues, he reaches up resting his hand on the top of his head and then lowers his head. He then begins scratching the back of his head and paces a bit. His long on going explanation didn't get any better and just when he thought he heard the worse he didn't._"…and that's when the fire trucks rolled up."_

"Why…why were the fire trucks there!" he painfully asked.

Upon hearing the word fire trucks, Sarah and Travis immediately walk up while Casey just stood in the back S.U.V. just shaking his head. They watch intently as Chuck's facial expressions expressed an array of emotions as he listens to Morgan continues explaining what happened. _"…and don't worry its just part of the bushes outside in the front entrance that have been burned. You can hire someone to replant some more right...of course you can dude."_

Chuck immediately looks at his phone and yells his response to Morgan on the other end. "Why were my bushes on fire!"

His response to Morgan causes Travis and Sarah's eyes to widen as they intently look at a more than perturbed Chuck. _"Look, I know you're angry…"_

"Morgan…" Chuck immediately interjects. He pauses to gather his thoughts and chooses his words very carefully before he speaks to him. "…I'm not…you know what take the rest of the day off. Take Anna somewhere and one more thing…"

_"I'm no longer you're second in command am I."_

"No…" he replied shaking his head. "…no you're not."

_"Am I fired?"_

"I'll discuss it with you in my office when I get back…" he calmly stated. "…okay Morgan?"

_"Gotcha my cap…" _He hears Morgan stop in mid sentence knowing that possibly calling him captain wouldn't be such a good idea right now._ "…gotcha boss."_

Chuck hangs up and begrudgingly turns around clutching his phone on his right hand. Form Sarah and Travis' vantage point his eyes are shut tightly, biting his lower lip and beating the topping of his phone on his forehead. Sarah and Travis look at each other silently who should speak up to which Sarah won out by default.

"Chuck…" Sarah asked with concern. "…is everything okay?"

The governments most important intelligence asset stops beating his phone against his forehead, opens his eyes, and responds to her. "Peachy, I'm thinking about killing Morgan when we get back home." he said taking a deep breathe.

"Can I do it." Casey grunted.

Travis and Sarah look back at Casey who has his right hand raised in the air. They then look back at Chuck who is actually contemplating his offer. Sarah immediately responds.

"You're not actually considering…"

"No…" he interjected shaking his head both at Travis and Sarah. "…of course not. I'll deal with Morgan later, let's get going and head to Mudd's Pawn Shop."

Travis and Sarah nod in agreement as they both head into their respective seats. Casey closes the back of the S.U.V. and as he passes Chuck who is heading towards his spot behind him he quietly responds to Casey's offer. "I'll let you know." he whispered as he jumps into his seat behind Casey and shuts the door.

Casey's responds with a smirk, then gives off a resounding grunt as he opens the drivers side door and jumps in all in one fell swoop.

XXX

_**NOTE: Hope you like this chapter folks as it took a while to write. Anyways, Chuck vs. The Role Models was a good episode with definite parallels and Sarah moving in with Chuck is awesome. Can't wait for next week's episode as Chuck experiences problems with the intersect. Please leave a comment and tell me what you think.**_


	19. A Blowout Bash

It was quiet in Graham's cell as he sat at the edge of his bed. He has his left pant leg lifted up above his knee checking the injury but more specifically in the area of his left knee where it got slammed against the driver's side door. From what he could tell there is not only significant swelling, but also bruising as well. He carefully flexes it knowing that it wasn't broken because if it were he wouldn't be able to stand.

The tough, grizzled veteran of the C.I.A. winces in pain as he flexes his left leg. The impact of his leg hitting the driver's side door was significantly hard with much of the bruising on the side of his knee. For the past hour or so, he has been on his feet stretching out every part of his body in order to not let it lose strength because he knew he was going to need every all that he could muster going up against his former pupil.

Graham already proved last night by sheer mental will that he was capable of psyching out his adversaries when he needed to. As much as, he was in pain last night he was extreme when he woke up. However, the pain slowly began to subside as he moved more around his cell in order to not only get feeling back into extremities, but also get his blood circulating to the point of building up adrenaline for the battle to come.

As he sat there rubbing his left knee, he couldn't help but smell the lingering aroma of the leftover food that inhabits his clothes. Lobster Risotto to be exact and it would be his usual dish to eat whenever he went there after work. Essentially, the food from his favorite hang out spot Teatro Goldini was all over him due to the sheer impact of the ambush causing the lid to open and its contents were strewn everywhere.

Would it be his last meal he thought to himself? As a spy you never really think about the last thing you ate before you die. Its not something you truly focus on because quite frankly there are more pressing matters to attend to and for the most part you're focus is trying to live rather than reflecting back on the how the lobster risotto you had for dinner last night was absolutely delicious.

Your main focus is to get the job done by any means necessary and when it comes to food that is merely an afterthought. True, during his younger days as a spy he frequented some the best restaurants from Milan to London and even though he was there to meet up with contact or a mark for that matter he somewhat took pleasure in tasting the local delicacies that the restaurants had to offer.

Its at that point a hint of a smile appears on his face causing him to stop rubbing his knee. His thoughts turn to his secretary Christine Chapel and their love affair that they secretly share together. He knew that he was truly being a hypocrite regarding the situation concerning the relationship between Sarah and Chuck knowing full well he actually empathized with the both of them.

He had to totally honest not just in his mind, but in his heart as well that he has someone to care about on a more personal level. A level where he contemplated many times on the retiring as Director of the C.I.A. and sharing a life together with her. Graham remembers the candle light dinners they shared together at her house. She would cook meals for him such as Fettuccini Alfredo or something simple as Lasagna and washing it down with a glass of red wine.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sound of his stomach grumbling. The thought of food suddenly became an important issue mainly because he hasn't eaten since last night. He raised his forearm in order to check his watch out of habit but forget it was taken by Archer's henchmen. Graham surmised he had been out for quite some time and it could possibly be far later in the day.

Its at that point, another sound catches his attention causing him to look towards the cell door to his left. It's the sound of one lone individual footsteps shuffling on the linoleum tile floor. Graham expects the door to open giving him the opportunity to make his escape, but instead he witnesses the top slot of the greenish colored cell door open with a pair of eyes staring right at him.

"Hey…" Graham hollered. "…can I have my shoes back?"

The individual doesn't respond but what he does instead is open another slot that is considerably larger. As Graham glances from both the top slot to the newly open slot, he sees the person stick not only a brown package through the slot, but also a bottle of water. He looks at the items on the floor of his cell and then looks right back at the two eyes staring at him.

"No…" he calmly stated as he shakes his head. As somewhat weak, roughed up and in pain as he is Graham's ability to goad an individual continues to remain strong."…then how about room service because…"

The C.I.A. Director didn't finish his sentence as the individual, possibly one of Archer's men, simultaneously shut both slots. He once again hears shuffling away from the door as the person's echoing footsteps momentarily linger. Graham shakes his head again and the pushes himself up wincing once again, walks over to where the items are laying, and hovers over it.

He slowly bends down to pick it up and while holding the bottle of water in his left hand he looks at the brown package in his right hand. Upon closer inspection, he sees that its MRE, which aren't really considered the type of food you would normally rush to eat. Graham reads the main course supposedly inside and its Chicken Pest Pasta. _Hey, its not Lobster Risotto, but it will have to do._

XXX

Chuck had a lot of thing running through his mind including Morgan nearly burning down his entire business. He knew had to compartmentalize all his thoughts beforehand or he won't be useful to the team when it matters the most. As he sits there, leaning his head against the window he lets his mind just drift off not thinking about the current mission or any mission for that matter, which for him is considered quite peaceful.

If he could compare that feeling to something it would be in a way like Spock's funeral in the movie Wrath of Khan. He died a hero in his efforts to save the entire crew who would not have made it out alive if it weren't for his selfless act of bravery. It was a sad day for all Star Trek fans everywhere not knowing that he would be resurrected in the next Star Trek movie directed by Leonard Nimoy himself.

Essentially, the send off of his casket as its jettisoned in space towards the newly formed planet created by the terraforming device known as Genesis was bittersweet. Yet, despite being it considerably somber it was a peaceful moment to say the least t as it was shared amongst all the crew who attended. In a sense, the death and return of Spock has played a significant role in his own life.

The death of an old life that consisted of pain, heartbreak, and sadness to the birth/return of a new life filled contentment, love, and true happiness. How many people can say that even though it may have been difficult to do they finally buried the past and are now living a new life where the possibilities are endless as long as you have someone special by your side every step of the way.

As he sits there looking out at the passing scenery and then up at the beautiful blue sky, he feels the warmth of the warm afternoon soon on his face. It had been a long time since he has been able to do that since Bryce sent him the intersect 3 and half years ago. The sense of calm he's feeling at the moment caused him close his eye and take a deep satisfying breathe as a hint of a smile appears on his face.

His tranquil moment is suddenly interrupted by the touch of a female hand on his causing him to snap back to reality. He opens his eyes and turns to see Sarah smiling back at him.

"Hey…" Chuck said with a smile. "…what's up?"

"You're smiling." Sarah responded. "Penny for your thoughts?" she asked with curiosity.

"Not thinking about anything important." he answered rubbing says Sarah's left hand. Chuck notices the look of concern on her face. "I'm fine…" He grips her hand tightly for assurance. "…really."

Sarah looks at Chuck who gives her his all-too-familiar smile that always warms her heart. it's a smile that not only sends a chill down her spine every time he flashes it, but also causes her to become weak in the knees. She knows he will never lie to her unless it was for a good reason and from the smile on his face as he was having his moment makes her think he isn't.

To Sarah, the way Chuck looked sitting there in seemingly utter euphoria was something she had never seen before. It was something very different and to be perfectly honest it's a nice sight to see. True, there have been moments where he has seen him relaxed especially with her but there was something completely different about what she was observing ever since they left Lake Fairfax.

"Okay." she said rubbing the top of his right hand with her thumb. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I'm not going to not let Casey kill Morgan when we get back home if that's what you're wondering." he responded.

The couple hear a grunt of disappointment from Casey who is currently sitting behind the wheel. They briefly glance at him and then look back at each other. "Not that…" she said expressing a hint of laughter and a bright smile on her face. "…I just wanted to thank you for all the effort you're putting in for my birthday."

The sweet moment shared between the two is suddenly interrupted by Travis. "Happy Birthday Sarah…" They both turn to see Travis exuding a wide smile. "…with everything that's happened I forgot to tell you in the briefing room when you and Chuck came down. I hope you have a great one with all your friends and family by your side."

"Thanks Trav." she responded. "You're coming to the party Friday right?"

"Is there cake?"

Sarah turns to look at Chuck who turns to look at Travis. "Yup and ice cream too."

"Sweet…" he excitedly stated with a raised right fist in the air. "…I'm so there along with my wife and kids."

"Great." she said.

"Is it okay, if I bring my nanny along as well?"

"Sure…" Sarah responded. "...the more the merrier."

Travis nods and then all three then turn their attention towards Casey who doesn't say a word. Chuck takes the innovative to break the silence. "Casey don't you want to wish Sarah a happy birthday?" he said. "Its going to be a blowout bash."

There is a moment of silence as Chuck and Sarah see Casey look directly into the rear view mirror for a brief second giving a grunt. To Chuck its grunt 15...congrats partner. All three knew he wasn't the type of guy who gives celebratory well wishes to people and so she took it knowing how much he hates to share how he feels concerning the person who is currently in the S.U.V.

"You coming to the party Friday big guy?" Travis inquired. "You can't turn down free cake and ice cream." he added.

"I'm busy." Casey grunted.

"I thought you might say that." Chuck retorted.

Casey quickly glances in the rear view mirror directly at Chuck. "What did you do Bartowski?"

"I took the liberty of calling Jayne on my way to Castle and she's delighted that both of you are coming to Sarah's birthday party." he said with a sheepish smile on his face.

Chuck's sheepish smile suddenly falls flat when he sees Casey leering at him in the rear view mirror. After a brief moment, he responds.

"Will there be an open bar?"

Chuck turns to Sarah who immediately nods. "Of course..." said Chuck. "…just have to make a call to Ellie later."

Casey's response is a grunt of satisfaction which Chuck takes that he is indeed coming. From Chuck's calculations at least 20 people are coming with more to be added to the guest list when you account for Ellie who possibly will find a date for Cassidy. Before Travis turns around he smiles giving an obligatory fist tap to Chuck who reciprocates it. Chuck turns to lean in to Sarah giving her a soft kiss on her lips that last for a few seconds. Once over, they sit back and relax heading towards their intended destination…Mudd's Pawn's Shop.

XXX

Team Chuck finally arrives at Mudd's Pawn Shop and immediately park in front of the star. As they exit out the S.U.V. they all notice the location of the shop is in a pretty seedy, ghetto type area of D.C. Run down buildings, laundromats, check cashing places, barber shops, several small eating establishments, and a number of people either sitting/standing outside or walking around the area.

It left Chuck a bit weary causing him to stick close to Sarah. Casey opens the door and while opening it all 4 of them hear a bell to notify the person or person inside of possible potential customers. Travis, Sarah, and Chuck enter but before entering the establishment himself, Casey does a quick last minute sweep of the area in order to see if anything is out of the ordinary. When he finds nothing he enters in himself.

As all 4 teammates walk inside, they notice the typical items found in a pawn shop such as gold Rolex watches, bracelets, gold necklances, the occasional Superbowl ring, Wii video games system, flat screen televisions, power tools, and the lost goes on and on. All 4 notices there are not only any customers inside, but the owner or manager is nowhere to be found.

"Hello…" Chuck hollered out. "…is anybody here?"

All 4 turn attention to the open door leading to the back room to see if anyone appears in the doorway. After a few moments, nobody appears leading Casey and Sarah to exude a look of seriousness causing them to be in a heightened state of awareness. Sarah signals Travis to stay not only stay back but protect Chuck if anything happens to which he nods in acknowledgement.

The agents draw their weapons and walk cautiously towards it aim their with weapons towards the door. Sarah is the first to go behind the counter with Casey following suit. Chuck was safely behind Travis who also drew his weapon and from their vantage point watched the two agents creep towards the open doorway. The tension at the moment is at a fever pitch and just as they reached the doorway a man suddenly appears.

The man immediately puts his hands up. "Don't shoot…" he quickly said. "…the money is in the register."

The seemingly jumpy pawn shop owner looked to be 5'9, dark eyes, wearing jeans, dark tennis shoes, a black shirt with a red Hawaiian shirt over it, and a gold chain hanging around his neck. He has auburn hair with a receding hairline, somewhat portly, an earring on his left ear, and sporting a handle bar mustache that is perfectly curled on both ends. From the look on his face, he just about pissed his pants.

"We're not here to rob you." responded Casey.

Casey, Sarah, and Travis put their weapons away to show Mudd their on the up and up. From Chuck's point of view Mudd didn't look all that dangerous but as the saying goes don't judge a book by its cover. The man after all sells military weapons on the black market to very dangerous people one of which they are in search of right now as we speak he thinks to himself.

He watches as Casey and Sarah escort him to a nearby stool. As Mudd sits down, Chuck could tell he was trying to catch his breath showing he's genuine in his actions and did not fake the reaction upon walking in and seeing two people aiming guns at him. Granted, he is in a neighborhood where urban crime is prevalent and according to statistics D.C. is one of the largest, as well as, most violent regions in the United States.

That particular thought unsettled Chuck causing him to head over to where Casey and Sarah were located with Travis following behind him. When he approaches, he speaks to the rather portly business owner. "Do you know a Kirk Archer?" he says.

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb…" emphatically stated Casey. "…we know you are closely associated with Archer."

"I'm sorry…" Mudd briefly pauses and looks at all 4 people in front of him. "…who are you people."

"My name is Agent Walker and this man here is Agent Casey." she stated. "We're here on matter of high importance."

A look of uncertainty appears on the skittish man's face. "Could you prove it please?" A annoyed look washes over Casey's face as he, along with Sarah, begrudgingly take out their I.D. to prove to Mudd they are who they say they are. Mudd squints as he looks closely at their I.D.'s and after a brief moment he nods his head acknowledging they are indeed agents. He then turns to look at Travis and Chuck. "Who are those two?" he asked.

"I'm Agent Travis and this guy right here is Agent Carmichael." Travis said.

"Show me you're I.D's." requested Mudd.

Chuck and Travis look at each other knowing they don't carry badges. It's at that point Casey grunts and quickly intervenes. "We don't have time for this…" he grumbled with frustration in his voice. "…Agent Carmichael give me the file." he added.

Casey turns to Chuck who just gives him a blank look and raises both hands air. "I left it in the car."

"Moron." he softly grunted.

"I'll go get." Chuck nervously responded.

He is about to turn to leave when Sarah stops him. "Wait, I'll go get it, you just stay here with them." Sarah said.

"Are you sure because I would be more…"

"Somebody go get the file." Casey bellowed.

"I'm going." chimed in Sarah witnessing a very perturbed Casey.

Sarah walks off leaving the 4 men by themselves. All 4 men stand there in an uncomfortable, awkward silence to where head nods and forced smiles are exchanged. Its at this point, Travis makes the decision to break up the silence. "So…" he said clapping his hands together as he looks at Mudd." "…what's the craziest thing anyone has ever pawned off?"

XXX

Sarah walks out of the pawn shop and heads towards the S.U.V. which is parked to her left several feet away from the door. She steps over to Chuck's door, opens it, and sees the file laying in center. She retrieves it, closes the door, and just as is about to reach the door she hears commotion from the side alley way to her right. Her instincts tell her to go investigate and when she peers around the corner she sees the front end of a black van sticking out from the back.

She sets the file on the ground, draws her weapon, and slowly proceeds towards the black van. Her adrenaline is pumping as she moves towards it and as she gets progressively closer she hears what seems to be items being placed into the van and from the sound of it they're possibly heavy items judging from the impact of it. When arrives at the corner end of the building she peers around to see an armed Asian female dressed in black located behind the back of the black van with no side windows

Not to make her presence known she quickly makes her way to the other side of the black van. She crouches down and slowly and silently as can be moves to the rear end. Sarah inevitably reaches the rear end and peers through the crack of the right open double door and from her vantage point sees only her at the moment possibly taking inventory of what's being placed into the van.

Sarah holds up her weapon and is about to make her movie when suddenly the right rear down is kicked in her direction causing her to be momentarily stunned from the impact as she nearly falls to the ground. The Asian female emerges from the rear of the black van and commences her attack on a temporarily stunned Sarah who quickly recovers and draws her weapon towards her but is swatted away by a spinning left crescent kick.

However, before the gun is knocked from her hand Sarah unloads a few shots putting a few bullet holes on the top side of the van. The sound of gunfire coming from the back alert all 4 men that there is danger afoot. Chuck is the first to respond as he is the first to head back there knowing it may possibly be Sarah who needs assistance. Casey, on the other hand, knows how foolish he is attempts to stop him.

"Get back here Chuck!" Casey screamed.

"I got him Casey!" Travis immediately responded quickly following Chuck who is close to the door to the back room.

Casey stands there as he watches Travis reach Chuck who is about to reach the door when Chuck suddenly stops. He suddenly stops because out from the back room steps the man who they've been searching for…Kirk Archer. He and Chuck lock eyes on one another. A sly smirk appears on Archer's face as he raises a Mossberg M590-A1 12ga. Shotgun and aims it straight at Chuck. Travis sees this and immediately pushes him forcefully to the side causing him to not only hit his head against the wall, but also fall against a water dispenser over to where he, as well as, all the water inside the dispenser are on the floor.

Travis' selfless act causes him to get shot point blank in the chest causing him to nearly fly halfway across the shop landing hard on the floor. This all happens in one fell swoop. Casey is about to respond taking out his weapon but is immediately hit from behind with stool from Mudd. The NSA agent is stunned and tries to recover but is met with the hard butt end of Archer's shotgun to his face.

All 3 men are laid out to where Archer stands there reveling in his handiwork. "Bring the van to the front." ordered Archer as he looks at Mudd.

Mudd nods and quickly heads to the back. Archer quickly surveys the area and sees there is no possiblity of retaliation at this point causing him to take one final look down at Casey who is out cold. He exudes a sly menacing smirk as he opens the door heading towards the van which emerges out in front of the store. Meanwhile, a disoriented Chuck turns over trying to recover from his ordeal and when he does he notices something peculiar on the ground.

Outside, the van is awaiting Archer and inside waiting for him are Mudd, Khan, O'Brien, and Sarah who has been tied up and gagged. He gets into the van and they pull off but it suddenly stops to where Archer jumps out heading to the back of it. As he does this, a groggy Chuck is inside dragging Casey heavy body to safety. He suddenly sees Archer outside walking towards the front of the pawn shop armed with an M32 MGL grenade launcher.

Chuck's eyes widen as he quickly starts dragging Casey. Outside, Archer stands there aiming his weapon straight at the pawn shop and at the same time he does he turns to look at Sarah who has a horrified look on her face as she struggles to try to free herself. Archer gives a sinister smile towards her, then turns to face the pawn shop, and unloads all six grenades into the store causing a huge explosion to erupt.

A shocked and horrified look appears on Sarah's face as she sees the entire building blow up and inevitably engulfed in flames. Tears start running down her cheek as her attention goes from the building where Casey, Travis, and Chuck were in to Archer who arrogantly walks back to the back of the van. The sadness in eyes are replaced with anger and utter contempt as she leers at the man who just killed her partner, friend, as well as, the man she loves.

Archer hands M32 MGL to O'Brien and before closing the door gives off a hint of laughter at Sarah's expense. If looks could kill, then he would be dead on the spot as Sarah was throwing daggers from her eyes. Archer's team drives off as the Mudd's Pawn Shop is up in flames with not only debris falling down every, but the sound of car alarms sounding off every which way.

XXX

_**NOTE: The pace is picking up people. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a comment.**_


	20. In the Line of Duty

Its deathly quiet inside the black van since Archer blew up Mudd's pawn shop 30 minutes ago. Khan is busy driving all-the while checking to see if they're being followed. Mudd, the former owner of the pawn shop, is sitting shotgun right beside her. Located right behind them nearly stocked one above the other are 4 military type crates with assorted number of weapons and ammo.

As for O'Brien, he is sitting right at the double doors in the rear of the van sideways leaning back with his legs fully stretched while Archer, who is leaning back legs fully stretched and arms crossed, sits comfortably on the opposite side a few feet away. In between the two of the them is Sarah who is not only bound tightly by her hands and feet but is also gagged as well.

As she sat there, she replayed the situation over in her mind of how she got captured. After getting her gun knocked out of her hand by an impressive kick from the Asian female, they went toe to toe exchanging punches, kicks, and at one point slamming each other up against the side of the black van face first. However, that couldn't stop the resolve of either woman. As they are fighting, they both hear a loud bang from inside the building that causes great concern for Sarah but it doesn't show in her face as she keep fighting.

It goes back and forth Sarah eventually got the upper hand when she did a spinning leg sweep that caught her off guard. At the same time she did that, she retrieves her gun on the ground inevitably pointing right at her adversary. Her victory is premature because she doesn't take into account the man standing behind her with gun against the back of her head. _Rookie mistake_

Her mistake, allowed the Asian female to get up, give a leering look towards her, and throw a right hook for good measure just to get in the last hit between the two of them. She then remember being tied up, gagged, and thrown into the black van. What comes next was a horrifying sight as she witnesses Archer use a grenade launcher to blow up the pawn shop with Casey, Travis, and Chuck inside. A mixture of emotions welled up within her as she started to cry but when she saw Archer standing in front of her one emotion rang true within her eyes…anger.

Its that same anger that still exudes within her eyes as she sits there locking her attention straight at Archer himself. Her attention has been on him and only him for the last 20 minutes. Sarah's hands were itching to get around his neck in order to strangle the life out of him for what he did. Its because of him she lost the best partner she ever had, a new friend, and the only man she has every truly loved.

Her focus on Archer is immediately interrupted when he subsequently responds to all the attention he's getting from her. "Agent Sarah Walker I presume." he calmly stated. "Sarah's eyebrows furrow upon him saying her name. "Yes, I do know who are and I make it a point to know all of Graham protégés, especially one's who are deemed his best agent."

Sarah watches as a smug look appear on his face. It's a look that she would like to slap right off and the mood she's in right now she could do more than just slap it off.

"You know…" he said shaking his head. "…I was just like you once." Archer raises both his hands and wiggles his fingers. "I was a puppet on a string made to do everything that old man manipulated me to do while he sat back and got all the glory." he added.

The calmness that was once in his eyes now radiates an intensity within them as he turns to look at her. "People like you and me deserve getting credit not people like Graham." Archer gets a bit more animated as he starts pointing at her. "He uses people like us and then when we're no longer any use for him he just throws away like yesterday's paper." he said softly.

Archer suddenly leans back against the side of the black van and waves his right finger at her as he again shakes his head. "You're talents could be better spent joining a team such as mine Agent Walker…" He pauses briefly. "…can I call you Sarah? Sarah just glares at him to where Archer simply nods. "…well Sarah I'm going to give you the opportunity to finally cut the strings that Graham and the C.I.A. have on you."

From Archer's view point, her body language has loosened up and the look on her face tells him she's actually considering the offer. "I see I'm getting through to you Sarah. That's very good because people like…" Archer pauses as he looks around the van and starts pointing at everybody. "…Khan, Mudd, O'Brien, myself, and even you…we're cut from the same mold." he methodically stated.

"We're killers and nothing can ever change that. No matter how hard we try to escape from that life they will always find us." he emphatically said. "Here's our chance to make a statement that the powers that be behind their cushy desks will hear loud and clear."

Sarah's eyes soften and the look of intense anger towards him is no longer there. She takes his eyes him for a moment looking at the floor of the van. Its gives Archer the perfect opportunity to go in and seal the deal. "So what do you say Sarah…" he persuasively asks. "…will you join us?"

The blonde C.I.A. agent slowly looks up and turns her head to look directly at Archer. She motions for him to remove the gag in order to give him her answer. Archer moves over on his knees and removes the gag from her mouth. When its removed she stretches her jaw for a couple seconds before she looks at Archer whose face is mere inches away from her.

"I've got my answer for you." Sarah calmly responded. An arrogant smile appears on Archers face as he anticipates her answer. Instead of a verbal answer, Sarah rears back with as much force as she can muster and head butts Archer right in the face causing Archer to fall back against the side the van where he sat. He has both hands covering his nose and mouth.

The head butt takes Archer's men completely by surprise so much so that Khan nearly runs off the road. Mudd, O'Brien, and Khan, who briefly takes a quick look back, see that Sarah's heat butt caused some damage to Archer's nose by the appearance of blood underneath it, as well as, on his hands. Archer looks at the blood on his hands and then at Sarah.

"How's that for an answer." she stated with a smile on her face.

XXX

Fire Trucks surround all around the aftermath of the once standing building known as Mudd's Pawn Shop. Road blocks are set up by the police on either side to ward off bystanders from getting in the way. Ambulances are on standby just in case if there are any living bodies are found with injuries. From the looks of the entire scene, nobody could have survived a blast like that.

Its at this point, several black S.U.V's arrive. They are allowed passage into the controlled chaotic aftermath. The S.U.V. park right in front of the nearest fire truck. A slew of government agents step out from the S.U.V.'s and situate themselves in different areas as one agent goes to open the door for someone highly important. When the door is opened, out pops General Beckman who makes a bee line for the head NSA agent who is coming towards her dressed as a firefighter.

"General Beckman, I'm Agent LaForge." he stated.

"Agent LaForge, what is the SITREP?" she ordered.

"The fire has been contained. The explosion caused by what appears to be a grenade launcher. No civilians are harmed ma'am." answered LaForge. "A government issued Black S.U.V. has been found but no one inside."

"Thank you." she answered. "If you find anything or anyone report to me immediately." she firmly ordered.

"Yes ma'am." he quickly replied back.

"Laforge rushes off leaving Beckman to take in the whole scene before her. Beckman sees the charred remains of Mudd's Pawn Shop. She couldn't fathom anyone surviving that type of catastrophe, especially Team Chuck. She knew that they were here because Casey informed her that this was their next stop after heading out from Lake Fairfax. It wouldn't be their style to not leave something blown up or on fire she thought to herself.

Since the conception of the team 3 and half years ago, she has had her reservations when a civilian by the name of Chuck Bartowski was sent highly classified intel by his former roommate/C.I.A. agent Bryce Larkin. In addition to that, the NSA and C.I.A. working together was, in her mind, not a good idea because of how each agency did business in their own way.

To Beckman, Chuck was remarkable at attaining that much information in his head and though he suffered adverse side affects to where he suffered a debilitating coma but was able to pull rough. He was left without the intersect but would later be uploaded with another version by William Jax much to her chagrin. As much as, she disliked what he did it all worked out for the best for the team.

When it came to the relationship between Chuck and Sarah, she was animatedly against it when she found out at Jeremiah Wexler's facility. She didn't feel that is was nowhere similar to the relationship between her and Marcus Stefano who ended up dying by her own hand. She continues to tell herself it was for the great good and she has no regrets whatsoever in doing it.

In any case, she couldn't believe that Agent Sarah Walker was actually DeAnna Wexler the daughter of her fellow Zeitgeist member. In Beckman's eyes, to do something as stupid as that knowing how it could seriously affect her father was irreprehensible. She was sorely disappointed at that bit of news and tried everything in her power, along with Graham, to rectify the situation.

She, along with Graham, were dead set on disbanding the three person for acts of treason against two high ranking official. Beckman couldn't believe of all people Agent Casey pulling a gun on she and Graham trying to stop Chuck from taking his father to the hospital. It was a bold and a yet stupid move on his part but she had to hand it to him for the having the balls to do it.

However, she couldn't deny the fact that after 3 and half years they became an effective team. Three different personalities working as one cohesive unit and despite their rocky formation as a team in the beginning they gradually became stronger. Even though there have been occasions where she has had great concerns regarding on the mental, physical, emotional, and each individual they were able to put those concerns to rest.

Beckman is proud of her team and would go so fat as to say she even cares for them as well. She wouldn't say that out loud to her face mind you. She has to establish the ever intimidating façade that snaps people at attention with either just a command or her oh so familiar glare she exudes. In all honesty, she enjoys those moments because it gives her a great feeling of power to just mess with people, especially Chuck.

Despite screwing up at times, their success rate in accomplishing mission by any means necessary was impeccable. Chuck said it best they were…are her best team. A team that has added a 4th member and not by her own hand as it was taken upon Sarah's father to make the choice for her. It was calculated, devious, and out right underhanded of him to pull a stunt like that. _That's business._

Beckman's thoughts are suddenly interrupted when Agent LaGorge quickly rushes over to her. He stands in front of her a bit out of breath. "General, we found something." A look of hope appears on her face as Agent LaForge quickly escorts Beckman into the charred remains of the building.

XXX

It's pitch black. Everywhere you look is sheer darkness but suddenly a huge spotlight lights up the middle of the room. After a few moments, Chuck steps out wearing a classic Star Trek uniform similar to that of Captain James. T. Kirk. He looks around and then down at what he's wearing wondering what in the world is going on. He looks around once again seeing absolute darkness.

"Hello!" he hollered. Chuck only hears his echo grow from loud to progressively faint in distance. "Is anybody here! He looks around once more. "Sarah, Casey, Travis!"

He doesn't know what to do at this point. He's had Travis, Casey, and especially Sarah to turn to whenever he was freaking out at a time like this. He turns around and run into the darkness only to find himself coming out into the light on the other side. He comes to the realization he's all alone and then that's when the anxiety kicks causing to slowly but surely freak out.

Its at this point, the man dressed in classic Star Trek attire suddenly hears an echoing voice. "Hello Check, glad you could make it."

"Who…who are you?" Chuck nervously asked.

"Its me..." To the Chuck the voice is off in the distance but at the same time seems all around him. After frantically looking around, he sees a figure appear in the spotlight on the other side. "…Kirk Archer." he menacingly responded.

The tall, lanky brown haired business owner looks across to see Kirk Archer wearing a classic Star Trek uniform as well similar to that of Spock. Archer walks forward and takes his time causing Chuck to think he's walking straight to him. However, he stops standing right in the center of the spotlight with a wide eyed smirk on his face, which deeply concerns him. After a while, he hollers at Archer.

"Where are my friends!"

"You mean Agent Casey and Agent Riley…" he hollered back. "…they're dead!"

"You're lying!"

Archer, seemingly out of nowhere, has something in his hands. He throws them over and land at Chuck's feet. He picks them up all-the-while keeping an eye on Archer. When he looks at the items they look to be burned up wallets. He opens the first one and finds it Travis', which causes him to grimace. He drops his fallen friends wallet and opens the other one. When he does he sees the melted remnants of Casey's NSA badge. He too drops that one watching it fall to the ground.

"You have your proof." Archer stated expressing a sinister smirk.

Its at this point, tears begin to form and as he looks up the tears falls down his cheek. He suddenly gathers himself just enough wiping away the tears to demand something of Archer. "Where is Sarah!"

Archer snaps his finger and as soon as he says that, a smaller spotlight appears with Sarah tied up gagged in a chair. There is a man dressed in black behind her holding a gun to her head. "Ask and you shall receive." Archer calmly answered as he quickly glances back at Sarah's location.

"Please…" he begged. "…let her go."

"I'll make you a deal, if you can beat me in a fight I'll let her go." he said with a hint of a smile on his face.

"If I don't?"

The small suddenly falls flat quickly replaced a look of sheer intensity. "Both of you die."

Chuck has no choice but to fight Archer. He slowly walks to and inevitably reaches the center of the room where he is at. He raises both fists and starts rocking back and forth like a boxer. "So are we going to do this?"

"We fight, but by my way." Archer snaps his fingers again. When he does, he sees someone over Archer's soldier walk towards them walk with a weapon. As the individual gets closer he see that the person is not only has Vulcan ears, he is also carrying a weapon similar to that of the Lirpa. Chuck is startled when another individual walks up from behind him sporting Vulcan ears and carrying the same weapon.

He suddenly realizes he's about to partake in the Kal-If-Fee. The same Kal-If-Fee in which Kirk and Spock fought in. The same fight in which Kirk "dies" at the hands of Spock when they participated in the Ahn'woon. The two individuals hand the weapons to Archer and Chuck then walk inevitably disappearing back into the darkness. After a brief moment, Archer without warning swings the Lirpa right at him.

Chuck does a matrix type move and quickly backs up. He grabs his with his left hand to find that his uniform just above his stomach has not only been cut, but the area where its cuts is bleeding a bit. As the battle begins, Chuck begins to hear the music that accompanied the battle between Kirk and Spock. Archer is quickly on the offensive swinging with intent to kill Chuck while he is on the defensive trying to not get hit.

Chuck does his best to defend himself and to his surprise gets a few shots in with the butt end of the Lirpa. The man with the government intel in his brain grows in confidence in his fighting ability and starts to go from the defensive to the offensive. He suddenly exudes skills and pulls off moves that take Archer by surprise twirling the Lirpa like a seasoned pro.

The battle goes back and forth as both men receive their fair share of cuts on their arms and legs. Both men shows signs of fatigue causing them to inevitably come at each other full force doing a test of strength type deal to see who can over power the other. Chuck is the one who is unfortunately getting overpowered as he's slowly forced to the ground. Archer forces Chuck's Lirpa under his throat causing his every to slowly cut off.

From Chuck's blurry point of view he can see a devilish smile forming on his face as he's choking him out with his own weapon. Chuck turns his to see Sarah in tears and that gives him the incentive to perform one final move that she taught him way back when. He looks straight into Archer's eyes and with all the strength life himself up a bit grabbing Archer by his uniform and then rolls back flipping him over on to his back to the point where his weapons get knocked out of his hands.

Chuck rolls over on top of him and immediately holds the Lirap right above Archer's Adam's apple. Even though he's sweating and breathing hard, he's intent on keep the sharp end of his weapon right there in order for him to hold up with his agreement. "I win…" he said taking in air. "…now let Sarah go!" he demanded.

"I'm a man of my word."

The beleaguered business owner of Whiz Kid, Inc. slowly stands so his feet with his weapon still trained on Archer's neck. He stares down at the man who cold heartedly killed his two friends. It would be so easy to just end it right here he thinks to himself. However, he's not a killer and instead of killing him he removes the blade from his neck, turns over it, and pops him in the face with the other end.

The battle is over and as Chuck throws the staff to the side he sees Sarah still tied and gang to the chair but the man behind her pointing a gun directly at her head is gone. As tired and wounded as he is, he stays on his feet stumbling a bit from side to side. A smile appears on his face as he's moving slowly but surely towards her. Chuck suddenly notices Sarah's eyes widen causing him to stop to the point where his smile goes flat.

Its at this point, Chuck hears two shots ring out. He looks down to see spot of red forming and spreading out on his green uniform in the area of his chest. He looks back up at Sarah who is in tears. It takes a brief moment before he falls to his knees just several feet away from the love of his life. As he's on his knees bleeding out from the gunshot wounds to his chest, he hears foots echoing behind him and they get increasingly closer.

When the footsteps stop, Chuck slowly turns his head to his right and sees Archer with a gun in a his right hand with smoke still looming out from the barrel. He bends down to get eye level with Chuck and looks straight into his eyes. "You may have won, but you have to know one thing about me…" Archer said whispering into right his ear. "…I play dirty." he softly says causing Chuck's eyes to completely go wide.

Chuck watches as he sees Archer walk over to where Sarah is. He walks behind her and places the gun against the back of her head and with one last look at Chuck he smiles as the spotlight suddenly goes off. As this happens, one solitary gun shot is heard causing him to scream out her name.

"SARAH!" he screamed out. He quickly shoots into a sitting position and screams out her name several more times. A nurse, along with Travis and Casey, immediately rush into his room after hearing his frantic screams trying their best to calm him down.

XXX

"It took a while but Travis more so than Casey helped Chuck calm down with a little help of a shot to help him relax. Casey suggested that he tranq him but Travis was totally against it. After taking time to gather himself from a horrifying and seemingly odd dream to where he knows that Travis, as well as Casey are alive he is able talk about the events at Mudd's Pawn shop with the both of them.

"How long have I been out?" inquired Chuck.

"A couple hours dude." Travis looked at his watch. "Its around 5:45 pm"

"Where are we?"

"In a government medical facility moron." Casey responded.

Chuck looks around. "I know that, but which one N.S.A…C.I.A?"

Casey is about to respond when General Beckman walks in. "Does it really matter Mr. Bartowski?"

"No General…" he quickly responded back. "…I guess it doesn't."

Beckman stands at the foot of Chuck's bed with her arms crossed. "Mr. Bartowski, can you please tell me how you, Mr. Riley, and Agent Casey were able to survive the blast?" she asks with curiosity.

"When I was pushed against the wall and ending up falling against the water dispenser I noticed the water was disappearing into a crack in the floor." Chuck takes a quick breathe and continues on. "So, I guessed that Mudd had a panic room down there but didn't open it until I found that the back door was probably barricaded by Archer and his men in order to not let anyone out." he answered.

"You are correct Chuck. A dumpster was found against the door blocking the escape route." she said. "Please proceed."

"I went to go check on Travis who was lying lifeless on the ground shot point blank in the chest." Chuck turns to look at Travis who is leaning against the wall next the window with his arms crossed. "He wasn't dead I knew that for sure because he always wore his bulletproof vest." he added.

"Better safe than sorry." Travis responded patting his chest. "Still hurts like hell though."

A hint of a smile appears on Chuck's face as he continues on. "Well, I went to open the panic room and found it lined with steel which practically helped the 3 of us in case of an explosion was about to occur." He shakes his head. "Boy, was I right."

"Then what." inquired Beckman raising her right brow.

"I carefully dropped Travis down to the floor. When I got to Casey I started dragging him until I stopped and the reason I did was I saw Archer standing outside holding a M32 MGL grenade launcher. I had to move quickly so when I reached the opening I ended up falling into the panic room with Casey on top of me when the first grenade broke through the window and exploded. That's when everything went black after that and I don't know how but somehow the opening to the panic room was closed shut."

"Possibly from the impact of the blast Mr. Bartowski." she stated. "You're a hero saving these two in the line of duty."

Chuck turns to look at Travis leaning against the window to his left then just off to his right is Casey standing next to Beckman. "I did what I had to General in order to save my friends."

Travis nods in response while Casey gives a grunt as his thanks. "What's the game plan now?"

"Save Sarah..." Chuck blurted out. "...Archer has her."

"Relax Chuck." stated Casey. "All we have to do is check the traffic/street cameras and talk to witnesses who were there."

A look of hope appears on Chuck's face when he hears that bit of news. However, when he turns to look at Beckman her face reads bad news. "That's going to be a problem."

"Why?" wondered Chuck.

"Witnesses claimed to have seen nothing and from what I was able to find out none of the cameras have worked in that particular area." she responded with absolute disappointment. "Money was put into the budget to fix or even replace those cameras but it didn't get done."

"Our tax dollars at work." Travis sarcastically said. "So what now?"

There is silence in the room as all four people in the room are in thinking mode. Chuck has a sudden realization and get's everyone's attention. "Archer thinks all 3 of us are dead right?"

"Right…" responded a confused Travis. "…what's up buddy?"

"Then let him think that because it will give us time to let be led to his base of operations." he answered with a sheepish smile.

"What are you lip smacking about now Bartowski?

"Yes, what are you trying to say Mr. Bartowski?" inquired Beckman

"Where's our gear…" he stated looking at Travis and Casey. "…to be exact where's my gear?"

"Probably still in the S.U.V. back at the pawn shop where we left it. Why?" asked Travis.

"Get it."

All three in the room look at Chuck with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "You pick a fine time to want to change your boxer shorts." grunted Casey.

"It not my boxer shorts that I need Casey…" Chuck looks at all 3 standing in the room. "…its what I have packed in my bag that can not only help find Archer's base of operations, but Sarah too."

XXX

_**NOTE: So what do you think? Please leave a comment.**_


	21. Reunion

After being checked out by the doctor, Chuck has been given a clean bill of heath. He is cleared and released from the hospital reuniting with his teammates minus one Agent Walker who is currently captured by Archer. Its 6:15 p.m. when all 4 people reconvene in Beckman's office at DN1 and once there they discuss not only finding Archer's location, but rescuing Sarah as well.

"You low jacked Sarah." said Travis looking directly at Chuck sitting next to him.

"I did not low jack Sarah…" Chuck responded back sitting in a chair in front of Beckman's desk. "…I low jacked the gold locket I gave to her on Valentine's day that's hanging around her neck."

"Explain to me again why." Travis inquired with curiosity

"I wanted to have a back up plan just in case it got stolen." he retorted. Chuck glances at Travis and then at Casey who is staring at him. "Its not like I keep track of her whereabouts 24/7 like you've been doing for the last 3 and half years with me Casey." he added.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that Bartowski." grunted Casey with a hint of a smirk on his face.

Chuck is about to respond back to Casey when Beckman makes her presence known. "Gentlemen!" she bellowed. "We have more pressing matters to attend to."

Beckman takes a brief moment as she looks at the three men before her. The topic of the necklace has been much of a sore spot for her because it signaled to her the cover relationship between he and Agent Walker was very real. It was purely speculation on her part and she needed more evidence to prove her suspicions but the situation at the time was more important.

"Affirmative General."

"Mr. Bartowski, once you get the device we can not only get the location of Archer's base of operations but we will able to get a bird's eye view from space as to the possible terrain of the area." Beckman calmly stated. "Our people can provide you with points of entry, points of escape, etc."

"Trust me General…" Chuck pauses a brief moment. "…we're going to find him just like we found Sarah the last time when she was captured by Casey's former commanding officer Malcolm Reynolds."

Its at this point Beckman, Travis, and Chuck hear a resounding grunt causing all three to turn their attention to its source, which is Casey who is standing by the window with his arms crossed. The mere mention of his now deceased former mentor brought back not so fond memories of a man who betrayed his country. In his own eyes, he didn't deserve the purple heart for supposedly laying his life on the line in order to not let him be killed.

_You can't be alive._ Those were the words that kept running through his head as he stood atop the roof of Mind Games, Inc. in front of his supposed dead mentor. He remembers being in absolute stunned disbelief at what he thought at the time was a ghost standing before him. He wanted answers but unfortunately didn't get them as sporadic fire stopped him from doing so.

When he called to recruit him to be on his team he couldn't believe the man on the other end was the same man who taught him everything he knew. Mal threw it all away because according to him he wanted to protect the greater good of his own retirement. Money was the incentive and he tried but failed to entice to him as Chuck would say cross over to the dark side.

The teacher vs. the student ended with a final confrontation between the two at the Downey Insane Asylum. The betrayal he felt towards his former mentor angered him and he left him feel it as they went toe to toe exchanging blows. He thought Mal was killed when they both fell though the glass ceiling landing hard on the floor below. Mal died not by his own hand but at the hands of the one person who doesn't like guns…Chuck.

Casey's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by voice of Travis. "The guy you thought died by Chechen soldiers when his plane was shot down." he said. "I read that mission file." Travis shakes his head as a smile of disbelief appears on his face. "I bet that was a rude awakening for you big guy after all those years huh big guy."

The burly NSA agent doesn't even look at Travis. "The past is past…" Casey responded. "…and I would prefer to keep it that way." he emphatically stated turning his head to look straight at Travis.

The look of intensity in Casey's eyes feel as if they're burrowing a hole right threw him. Travis knew at that moment talking about his past wasn't a good idea. If he had learned anything from Chuck and Sarah, it was to never antagonize Casey or you'll end up having him unleashed on you. The newest member to Team Chuck clears his throat and averted his eyes from his glaring stare.

"I agree with Agent Casey's assessment concerning his situation." Beckman responded. "The situation concerning Archer is another matter entirely." the red headed general added.

It's a that point, a knock is heard at Beckman's door. She tells whoever it is to enter. All 4 people watch as an agent walks in with a black duffle back in hand. The agent stands in the middle of the room and looks straight at Beckman. "Black duffle back as requested ma'am."

Chuck stands up and turns to the agent. "That's mine."

The agent hands over the bag to Chuck who immediately turns with a smile on his face to look back at Beckman holding up the bag in his right hand. He is about to turn and sit back down when another agent walks in with files in his hand causing a look of curiosity appears on her face as the agent hands them over to Chuck.

"They were also found in the black S.U.V. ma'am." the agent said.

The 2 agents leave the same way they came in closing the door behind them. Beckman look at Chuck standing there with the bag hanging in his right hand all-the-while holding the files with both. Beckman's curiosity get the better of her. "What are those?"

"Graham's files General…" responded Chuck with a bit of hesitancy. "…concerning Archer and his men." Chuck pauses as he turns to look at Travis and then Casey.

Beckman's eyebrows furrow. "How were you able to attain them?"

"Do you really want to know?" Casey asked?

Beckman doesn't respond as she glances over at Casey by the window. She immediately looks over at Chuck. "Get the device up and running Mr. Bartowski." she ordered. "Then give it to my people and they'll do the rest." she added.

XXX

Graham is in his cell lying on his bed with his hands behind his head looking up at the ceiling. The look on his face shows that he looks considerably relaxed despite all that he's been through in the last 24 hours. There hasn't been really much to do except for eating the oh so delicious food he ate, which tasted like cardboard. At least he was given a bottle of water to wash it down with.

Before the arrival of his food, he spent much of the time trying to occupy his mind with whatever he could in order to not let himself slip into a state of mind that would cause him to go mad. As a spy, you're trained to handle being placed in a confined space when captured either by a mark or the law that is basically owned by the mark Graham thinks to himself.

He has trained countless recruits at "The Farm" placing them in situations without their knowledge that tested their mentally capacity in withstanding psychological torture. In order to be an effective agent, you have to be mentally strong and not let anything or anyone for that matter cause you to be broken. As a one time recruit himself, he remembers every tactic that was pulled on him in order to make him talk.

The experience of being isolated in a cell or some type of chamber especially can most definitely be considered a litmus test, especially if its your first time. Graham the first time he was captured during a mission back when he was just starting out as a spy. He remembers being thrown in to a dingy, stinky, dark cell stripped of everything leaving only his pants and the shirt on his back on his body.

The small that wafted within the isolated area was absolutely unbearable adding to the mental torture of being alone and having just your thoughts as company. However, your thoughts can play against you if you focus on the wrong thing leaving you absolutely vulnerable to the point where you become all emotional, which is the one thing you don't want to become.

What comes after being isolated for hours or even days on end is the physically beaten down in order to get answers. For a recruit, the physical toughness in their spy trying to become a spy comes to play as they'll find themselves strapped to a chair and beaten to a pulp. Its not a good feeling at all to have 2 or three guys work on you seemingly on every part of your body he thought to himself.

Black eyes, loss of teeth, broken ribs, were just some of the injuries he suffered. The bruises were able to heal, his teeth eventually grew back, and the broken ribs were no longer broken after taking time to heal. As Agent Casey would say, those were considered acceptable losses. Now, if you were able to withstand the beating then comes to the unorthodox type of torture deemed highly illegal.

Though he didn't experience the torture of water boarding, he did experience something much worse than having his head covered up and dunked in water while upside down. Its not a good experience to be electrocuted and have so many volts of electricity run through your body. The voltage were gradually increased and so intense that are certain points he lost bodily functions.

To be able to not break at all when you possibly have undetermined amount of electricity surging though your system shows how much you've succeeded in your spy training. It takes a lot to be able to withstand that particular type of torture because he has witness so many past recruits break immediately and giving up information right on the spot. Its those recruits he sent home packing.

To be a true try spy you can't fall in love. The number 1 in being a spy is never fall in love or you endanger the entire mission. He's said time and time again relationship between spy never work because you're too emotionally attached to each other. Graham has observed countless relationships forming at "The Farm" and its those relationship he, as well as, the instructors there have used against a potential recruit or both recruits.

For Graham, some of the best recruits he's observed ended up breaking when "the enemy" brought in an article of clothing dropping it in from of them without saying a word. The scent of either their perfume or cologne would be their breaking point ultimately causing them to immediately divulge what they knew. Their emotional attachment to another agent was their undoing as the veil of deceit is revealed to them.

The look on their faces when they realize its all been a test has been thoroughly engrained in his mind. The look on their faces as they stumble out of the cell or chamber to see not only their fellow agents, but quite possibly the agent who he/she established a relationship with stays with you for quite some time but as disappointed as you are in losing an agent with a lot of potential you move on to the next.

Graham's thoughts were interrupted when he hears commotion outside his cell door. After a few moments the cell door opens and in steps Archer exuding a sly smirk on his face causing the C.I.A. Director to sit up inevitably swinging both his leg over to the side placing them on the floor. Graham makes sure he sees him doing that as they both look eyes on each other.

"I brought you a new cell mate old man." he arrogantly said.

Graham leans over a bit to his left to see Sarah behind him tied up and gagged being lead into his cell by O'Brien and Mudd. A mixture of surprised shock is seen in his eyes as they widen to see his best agent right before him. "Sarah." he exhaled.

XXX

"Miss me old man?" he said as he steps aside to let his men through dragging Sarah over to Graham and inevitably dropping her next to him.

Graham quickly glances at Sarah quickly checking to see if she's okay and then immediately looks up at Archer. So many thoughts were running through his head at that exact moment. He wanted so much to stand up and punch him in the face but he restrained himself from doing that because he wanted to save his strength when the real battle begins.

"Not really." he responded. "Hey could you do me a favor…" Graham straightens his legs out putting all the attention to his feet. "…can you tell whoever took my shoes to bring them back." he kindly requested.

Archer glances at Graham's shoeless feet and then directly at him. "I'll look into it."

A hint of grin appears on the old man's face as he puts his legs down. "Thanks son." he responded in a prodding manner. He could see the verbal jab in regard to call him son again stung. "Oh my mistake, you told me not call you that didn't you." he added with a hint of a smirk on his face.

Khan witnesses the verbal exchange once again going once again between Archer and Graham as she stands off to the side. They both along with the rest of the team witnessed what happened the last time the two exchanged words. It ended up with Graham nearly getting his head blown off when he brought up the father/son relationship Archer had with Pike.

The atmosphere in the cell intensified to as Khan became fully aware of the non verbal communication as the two men are locked eye to eye. To her, the two men locking eyes looked like two vicious pit bulls ready to attack other. She, along with O'Brien and Mudd, would have to act quickly just in case and grab him in case he goes into attack mode because once he pounces it will be hard to pull him off she thinks to herself.

"Its not going to work." Archers said shaking his head.

"It was worth a shot." Graham retorts shrugging his shoulders as he helps Sarah sit up next to him.

Sarah briefly looks into Graham's blood shot eyes and in that moment she sees him nod telling her that for now he's okay. As she is sitting there, she is in utter disbelief looking at her boss who has always been seen in her own eyes as intimidating, larger than life figure. He always exuded a persona that demanded respected whenever he walked into a room or you walked into his office.

Yet, as she sat there what she saw wasn't her boss and Director of the C.I.A. but a haggard man that has been though hell in the past 24 hours. She sees the dried cut along with the blood stains on his dress shirt telling her the ambush did significant damage. She didn't know how severe were his other injuries but after taking a quick glance at him she assessed that he's for the most part fine.

He's human after all. It's odd to see her boss in such a disheveled state because every time she reported to him in person or by way of Castle he would looking absolutely professional. Yet, sitting there beside him he had not tie on, shoeless with black socks on and shirt open tucked out from his pants. It was a side of him she had never seen before and to perfectly honest it was quite refreshing. Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when she hears Graham speak again.

"Hey, you want to try shooting me again…" he said with amusement. "…this time aim for my head instead of the wall behind me."

Everyone in the room hear Archer give off a soft chuckle in response. He shakes his head as she slowly walks and stands right in front of Graham. He gazes down in a menacing way and inevitably bends down to look straight into his eyes. "Tempting…" he stated. "… but your time you will come soon enough as you'll be judged in court by your peers."

"Do I get lawyer?"

Archer nods. "Yes you do…" he replies. He pauses for moment. "…her." he added as his eyes glance over at Sarah.

A look of surprise appears in eyes as Graham turns to look at her. There is a look of uncertainty in his eyes that Sarah notices as he glances back and forth from her to Archer. However, when he finally looks back at her gets his undivided attention giving him a nod as if to nonverbally says she can do it. In that instance, Graham sees the look of seriousness in her eyes giving her a nod back.

"Okay." he replied.

"Excellent." Archer says with arrogance. Archer turns to signal his team to head of the cell. They comply with his nonverbal order and head out with Graham and Sarah not taking their eyes of him. The former team leader makes his exit but not before stopping at the doorway of the cell he turns to face his former boss. "Oh one more thing…" he said as Graham and Sarah's attention on Archer never waver. "…once the truth is finally revealed both of you will die." he added as he turns to walk out as the cell door slowly closes behind him.

XXX

Chuck sat at table by himself in the cafeteria of DN1 stirring his coffee. From the steam looming from out of the cup, it looks to be a fresh batch. The last couple of hours have been chaotic to say the least and the momentary down time gave him time to relax or at least try to relax. By the look on his face, he's preoccupied with his thoughts as he's hunched forward elbows on the table with his cup of coffee in front of him.

He knew taking that by taking along the GPS tracking system it would put to use the fist time. What he didn't know was that it would be put to use sooner than he thought the second time around. Team Chuck essentially not only have their needle in a hey stack, they also the element of surprise because Archer thinks he eliminated all three of them in a huge explosion that he caused by his own hand.

When he heard the sound of gunfire outside Mudd's Pawn Shop he immediately reacted without even thinking about his own safety because when it came to Sarah he would risk his life for her no matter who stood in his way…not even Archer. When he locked eyes with the man himself there was a moment where it felt like he was looking into the eyes of an arch nemesis.

In a way, the entire situation was somewhat similar to that of Kirk and his crew battling General Chang in the movie Undiscovered Country. The crew of the Starship Enterprise are racing towards the planet Khitmore in order to stop an assassination but when they get there they find they're under attack by a cloaked Bird Prey under the command of Chang himself.

Just like Chang, Archer's arrogance possibly had him giving some type of speech or quote. Nothing poetic like Shakespeare but something close to it before he blew up the pawn shop Chuck thought to himself. Yet, is his arrogance that becomes his downfall as Kirk, Spock, Bones, and Uhura formulate a quickly devised plan in which they would find their exact location by locating the ionized gas coming from The Bird of Prey's tail pipe.

Its at that point, Spock asks Bones to help him "perform surgery" on a torpedo. When the torpedo is launched it searches for the Bird of Prey it eventually finds ultimately destroying it allowing Kirk and crew to save the day as he saves the President from being shot by a phaser blast. Essentially, the have their torpedo ready to fire and its just a matter of time before it finds its target and explodes.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a slap on his left shoulder causing him to be startled a bit evident by him jumping out of his seat and nearly spilling his coffee on himself. He looks to see that its Travis who sits down across from him.

"How you holding up Chuck?" asked Travis.

"Still holding man." he responded

Travis could tell his thought were concerning Sarah. For the past 6 months, he has witnessed their strong bond of love they shared for each other. Both coming to each other's aide without any consequence of their own safety. As much as, Casey has been annoyed by their sometimes public displays of affection he couldn't deny the fact they were perfect for each other. They absolutely complimented each other in every way.

He knew stories would be told for years to come about the blonde C.I.A. agent and her asset falling in love. Though it was against protocol they kept it hidden from her superiors for long period of time. It during that long period time they went through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It wasn't until their relationship was revealed in level 36 of Wexler industries that the true fight to be together began.

It was a tense situation indeed as he stood in the room along side Tobias and Sarah's father. They both witnessed Graham and Beckman make an attempt to break up the team but was thwarted by Jeremiah Wexler. He remembers standing there in absolute awe as he witnessed the business side of Wexler come into play for his own daughter sake. To threaten to break his contract with military leaving them vulnerable for the happiness of her daughter was the ultimate sacrifice he would gladly make.

It worked and under the protection of the Zeitgeist along with those who are associated with the two of them they can't be touched. It felt good for Travis to find such a kindred spirit in Chuck, especially when it came to video games. He considered the man sitting across from him a friend and though the trust between them has suffered a bit of a rough patch he hope it would smoothed over.

"Thanks for saving me earlier bro." Travis said.

"I did what I had to in order to save my friends." he replied. "Besides, you would do the same for me, Casey, or Sarah."

"Definitely…" Travis nods. "…but I wouldn't have found that panic room like you did so quickly. That was a stroke of luck." he added pointing his finger at him."

"I…" Chuck pauses. "…we as a team have always been lucky." he replied shaking his head. "I just hope our luck continues." he added.

There was brief moment of silence between the two as the two men sat across from each other. It started to get a bit awkward to the point where one of them had to speak up. The two men began looking around noticing nearly half the cafeteria is filled with not only agents, but with DNI personnel as well. Then as if on cue, they simultaneously turn to each other.

"Look." Chuck and Travis said in unison.

"Jinx." Chuck quickly responded.

There is another brief moment of silence and then sounds of low laughter is heard between the two of them. Chuck takes a sip of his coffee as Travis sits across from him just shaking his head. As Chuck continues taking a sip all-the-while looking around the bustling cafeteria, his attention is turned back to Travis.

"Listen, I know I'm going to have to prove to you that I'm trustworthy when it comes to your secret…" Chuck can hear the sincerity in his voice. "…and saving you from being shot by Archer isn't going to cause you to trust me right away."

"It's a start…" responded Chuck. "…thanks by the way."

Travis nods. He feels a little better knowing that he's being given him the benefit of the doubt. He didn't know how and he didn't know when but he promised himself that he would make it right between Chuck and himself. His thoughts were abruptly ended by the sound of a cell phone ringing. He knew it wasn't his by the ring tone and he quickly surmised that its Chuck's. He watches him answer it and after a few seconds hangs up.

"What's up?" he asked with curiosity.

"It's Casey, he wants us in Beckman's office ASAP."

XXX

_**NOTE: Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Please leave a comment.**_


	22. Sarah Unleashed

Beckman along with the 3 members of Team Chuck are in the communications room of DN1. To Chuck it feels like being in the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise with government anylists wearing head sets on either side of the room seated not only at computers, but at communications stations as well. All it needed to make it complete is to hear a voice coming from within the room that Beckman could talk and give commands to.

Beckman faces the 3 men as she gives them an update on the situation. "We have a location Gentlemen." Beckman stated standing in front of the wide white wall screen.

"Where General?" Casey asked.

The United States Air Force General gives a nod over to one of the analysts signaling him to put the location on the screen. Chuck watches a mapped area of D.C. appears on screen with a red dot blinking on the right center corner. All 3 men look closely at the blinking red dot trying to individually establish an exact location of Archer's base of operations.

"Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary." Beckman firmly stated. "It's approximately 17 miles from Washington."

Chuck stood there taking all that information in. As much as he wanted to spring right into action and go after Sarah, they currently have the element of surprise on their side. Essentially, they have to play it smart and take their time in creating a well devised plan. He knew right away if they jumped the gun on this Graham wouldn't be the only one that may end up suffering from an ill timed mistake.

The pressure is now on as they now have the location of Archer's base of operations. What comes next is hopefully establishing an up close visual of the base itself, which is possible being it's the government and they can basically do it all except find Bin Ladin. Chuck shakes his head at that particular thought but soon focused on more important matters at hand.

"Can you enhance the satellite imaging in that particular area General?" requested Travis.

Beckman nods once again over to the analyst. He punches in a few keys and immediately the screen turns crystal clear as it goes to the view point of the government satellite in space. All 4 intently watch as the satellite gradually zooms in frame by frame towards the specified area where the GPS tracking system is giving off the signal. After a few moments, they get a clear bird's eye view of Archer's base of operations. Upon seeing it, Chuck's eyes flutter and begins seeing the following images:

_Baseball home plate…_

_Schematics of the wolves den…_

_Security cameras…_

_Thermal vision cameras…_

_Night vision cameras…_

_Motion sensitive sensors…_

_Perimeter defenses…_

_Finally the baseball home plate._

"The wolves den. The facility seems harmless at first sight but looks can be deceiving." Chuck quickly spitted out. "The premises is protected by numerous layers of security such as motion sensors, thermal/night vision cameras, perimeter motion sensitive weapons, and not to mention a number of well placed explosives of unknown types located anywhere on the base." he added.

"Its looks to be fortified like Fort Knox." Travis responded as he shakes his head. "Who can get past that type of security?"

"It's doable" grunted Casey.

_Doable?_ Travis briefly glances at Casey. Only he could find being able to get past a highly secured facility doable he thought to himself. Granted, he has seen more action than he has but with such a fortified building they could very well be detected a mile a way. Unless they had a Klingon cloaking device like the one on the Bird of Prey installed in their vehicle they would have a chance.

"You have cause for concern Mr. Riley." Beckman retorted looking directly at him. "However, according to Graham's files Archer's base of operations was decommissioned immediately after he was dishonorably discharged." she added.

"What does that tell us?" inquired Chuck.

"It tell us that the security system may be outdated." Casey responded. "You have to taken into account the base itself has possibly deteriorated over the past 5 years with some or all security functions not working correctly."

Beckman nods at Casey assessment. "Agent Casey is right. We have ample opportunity to use that to our advantage."

"Are you…" Chuck looks at Beckman then at Casey. "…both of you willing to take that risk?" Chuck blurted out.

Chuck sees Beckman eyebrows furrow once more. He watches as she crosses her arms and at the same time that happens he hears a resounding grunt right next to him. Under normal circumstances he would be jumpy and blabber on like he usual does but these weren't normal circumstance, especially when it involved Sarah's safety. He didn't bother looking at Casey standing to his right as his focus is aimed directly at Beckman. The man needed to convince her that taking a risk such that will endanger the lives of Graham and Sarah.

"What other alternatives do you suggest Mr. Bartowski?" inquired Beckman.

"Zoom in the area of the wetlands. Scan in and/or around the vicinity of the Wolves Den also." requested Chuck stepping forwards focusing his attention on the large white screen in front of him.

Beckman begrudgingly acknowledges the request giving a nod over to the analyst to do so.

"You pick a fine to go nature watching Bartowki." grunted Casey.

The tall, lanky business owner once again didn't acknowledge his response because it would just be a waste of time. Casey, Travis, and Beckman watch a focused and albeit determined Chuck intently scan the screen for whatever he's looking for. All 3 glance back and forth not knowing what, which causes concern from Beckman. She is about to speak up when she sees Chuck point.

"There!" Chuck bellowed.

"What is that?" Travis asked.

"It looks like some sort of storm tunnel system." said Beckman.

"Exactly General." Chuck turns sideway as he continues to point at that particular area while looking at his two teammates and Beckman. "The Wolves Den is like any other building and the water it pumps into the system must also pump out water as well." he added.

"It looks to be somewhat active and from the looks of things it's adequate size for the average human being to fit in." Casey surmised. "Excellent entrance point where we can slip in undetected. Nice catch Bartowski."

Chuck gives a quick nods towards Casey. He looks at Travis who gives him a nod of acknowledgement as well leading him to finally looking at Beckman whose eyebrows are still furrowed. She glances from the screen over to Chuck who has a look of determination she has never seen before. It's a look that truly impresses her as he firmly stands there looking straight in her eyes not wavering at all.

"Make your preparations. You all head out in the morning." Beckman responded as she takes a brief moment up at the screen. She then looks back at Chuck with a hint of a smile on her face. "Nice job Chuck." she added walking away leaving him standing there with a hint smile appearing at the right corner of his mouth.

XXX

Sarah sits along side her mentor Graham. After he freed her from her restraints, the blond agent asks Graham the extent of his injuries and how he feels to where he gives her his assessment. From her point of view he could very well be lying in order to protect her but for right now she takes him at his word. There is a momentary silence between the two when Graham notices a sullen look on her face.

"Agent Walker…is there anything the matter?

The blonde agent stares straight ahead and in a calm, clear voice responds to her boss. "They're dead."

Graham could hear the crack in her voice and the difficulty in trying to utter those two words. "Whose dead?"

Sarah slowly turns to Graham as a tear drop falls down the right side of her check. For her, the shock of witnessing Archer blow up the pawn shop with Travis, Casey, and Chuck wasn't able to hit her until now. She feels a mixture of loss and denial at the fact that she lost not only her team, but the man she loves. So many emotions welled up inside and yet sitting there she didn't want to fall apart in the presence of her boss.

"Casey, Travis, and…" To say Chuck's name became difficult because if she were to say it would make it real coming from her own mouth. "…Chuck."

As a Director of the C.I.A, he has dealt with death of agents before. The news of their deaths would always come to no surprise to him being that it's a business where its kill or be killed. He, like the rest of the agents out there, were taught to not let the death of your fellow agents affect you or it will cause your very own death. You have to have think skin and once the grieving process is over you get back to work.

He has made decisions that have affected agents lives over the course of many years. Its those decisions that he repeated over and over again that were for the greater good. The safety of the United States above else superseded everything else, which he swore an oath too. He not only held the lives of agents in the palm of his hand, but the lives of associates who he considered friends including Pike's.

As cold and heartless as that sounds its what being a spy is all about. Its not all smiles and hugs he thinks to himself. Its devious, cutthroat, and it changes you to the point where you have no idea who you are anymore. All the cover names you've established over the years all blur into one confusing mess causing you to wonder what is your actual real name. You lose your identity.

It's indeed a lonely, tedious, and sometimes confusing life to lead. Of course, you make a living having your passport stamped and going on mission to exotic places but never taking the time to actually see them. You spend your life living in suitcase and the relationships you do form are brief ones. There's no time to fall in love because there always another mission to go on…another job to do.

You spend your life surviving. That's basically the spy's life as you survive being shot, tortured, and what else life threatening situation you find yourself in. It a life that toughens you up and causes you to see the world in a whole different light. You're constantly looking over your shoulder and wondering if today is your last day. Today was unfortunately their last day.

"What? How?" replied Graham in shocking disbelief.

Graham could see Sarah mentally picturing the entire situation of what happened in her eyes. He noticed her hands shaking telling him how much it truly effected her. "We were following a lead that would possibly give us your location." she responded.

"Where?"

"Mudd's Pawn Shop." the blonde beauty answered. Sarah doesn't even look at Graham causing much concern to him. "When we got there everything was fine until I left…" She pauses taking in deep breathe. "…Archer used a grenade launcher to blow it up."

Graham didn't know what to say. All he could possibly to is to assure her that their death was not in vain.

"They knew the risks Walker." he softly said. "They died heroes." he remorsefully responded.

Its at that point, Sarah turn to look at Graham directly in his eyes. There is momentary pause as another single tear falls down her right cheek. "I'm alive and they're dead."

As he sat there along side Sarah, he knew a dam was about to break. As an agent or Director of the C.I.A. for that matter, you prepare for anything that might come your way. You have a contingency plan and an exit strategy in case you need to leave immediately. However, there wasn't prepare with contingency plan or an exit strategy when it came to witnessing his best agent about ready to fall apart right before his eyes and does indeed to that.

All Graham could do is rap his left arm around her and comfort her as the emotions began to overwhelm her to the point where the flood gate of tears poured out. She rests her head on Graham left shoulder and then brings her legs up hugging them with her left arm and curls up in a ball next to him. As much as he's completely out of his element and totally uncomfortable at that exact moment, he there for her as he rubs her left arm.

XXX

It took a total of 20 minutes before Sarah could calm down and compose herself. Graham literally gave the dress shirt off his back for her to use to wipe her face leaving him wearing a wife beater. Yet, he had his suit coat jacket to cover him up as well but it wasn't too cold in the cell to put it on. The emotional Sarah was in wasn't the Agent Walker she knew her to be whereby confirming his suspicions that her relationship with Bartowski stagnated her as an agent. He wanted her to tell her that but decided not to because of the severity of situation there were currently in.

"Why did you keep it a secret?" asked Sarah.

Graham furrows his eyebrows concerning the question being asked. He looks at Sarah who has puffy bags underneath her eyes and some redness under her nose. He sees her wipe her nose with the sleeve part of her his white dress shirt. "What secret?"

As Director of the C.I.A., he kept so many secrets some of which if they were to be revealed would cause a media firestorm. He would take them to his grave before they would ever get out. He sat there wondering what possible secret does she know and judging by the look on her face its something pretty big that it would cause her to bring up with him.

"You and your secretary Ms. Chapel?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Agent Walker." Graham responded.

"There's no point in lying sir…" Sarah stated. "…we saw the picture in your office of the two of you and she told us in her own words." she added.

"What were you doing in my office?" he responded. Graham quickly changes into boss mode and immediately stands up facing down at her. "Do you know how much trouble you're in?" Graham emphatically states. "IF by some miracle we get out of this you and I will have a talk."

As she sat there looking up at him, she couldn't help but feel like a rookie again being berated for doing something absolutely stupid. Yet, it was equally as stupid for Graham to be chastising her in their efforts to find him knowing the current situation they were both in. How dare he talk to me like this after all she's…we've been through and if you have to yell at someone yell at Beckman you old fart she thinks to herself.

Sarah is infuriated at this point as she too immediately stands up facing him. There was a time where she was intimidated by the mere presence of him but right now she doesn't see her boss standing in front of her, but a human being. A human being who had 3 good men risk their lives trying to save him and ended up dying because of it. The anger she feels towards him can no longer be held back.

"Stop!" she blurted out completely taking Graham by surprise. Sarah quickly stands up and faces Graham looking him in the eyes. She pokes her finger in his chest and begins an unleashing an angry rant. "First off, you ungrateful bastard…" She pauses. "…we were ordered by General Beckman to find you by any means necessary and yes we broke into your office." she said nodding her head.

Graham begins to slowly back up but each time he does Sarah step forward. "Second, you and your secretary have had a relationship for 15 years and that is coming straight from her own mouth." Sarah continues poking him in the chest. "She told us everything and how you both kept it a secret . Its oddly familiar to what Chuck and I have been through isn't it." she added.

"What was it you told us at the "The Farm"…" Sarah doesn't break eye contact with Graham. "…oh that 's right that spies should never all in love. So I guess C.I.A. Directors don't fall into that category it seems."

"Sarah…" Graham says as he briefly looks back. "…you don't…"

"Shut up!" she bellowed. "Shut…up."

The more Sarah steps forward the more Graham continues to back to the point where he ends against the cell door. He has never seen this type of emotion coming from Sarah and from the look in his eyes they exudes not only a sense of fear, but also worry for his own safety. An agent he could deal with but a very emotional agent who just lost someone who she loves is something he couldn't deal with.

"Archer told me that when you're in the C.I.A, they basically pull your strings." She backs off a bit giving Graham a bit of breathing room. "I don't condone his action because I swear to God if I get my hands on him I…" She cuts herself off in mid sentence. "…let's just say he made some valid points that got me thinking." Sarah said with disdain in her voice.

Graham sees the rage within her eyes telling him that she means business. "Look, you may have thought my love for Chuck was a sign of weakness causing you and Beckman to try to have me reassigned. News flash...that didn't work because the love I have…" Sarah pauses realizing Chuck is dead. "…had with Chuck made me stronger. It made both us stronger." she added.

Sarah slowly backs up with her hands in the air with a disgusted look on her face. "I'm going to defend you against Archer…" She pauses and then suddenly gets directly in Graham's face pointing her finger in his face. "…but just know this whether we got out of this or not as of right now I am no longer you're best agent." she emphatically stated.

XXX

Archer walks into the main with Khan right behind him. Mudd and O'Brien follow right behind them carrying the last of the weapon cases setting them in the middle of the room. He stands there looking at the rest of his men who stayed behind have a smile on their face but he doesn't. This causes some concern with them leading the smiles on their face to quickly disappear.

"Sisko…Riker." he ordered.

The two men immediately sound off and stand in front of him. "Yes sir." they both respond in unison.

Archer crosses his arms as he intently looks at the men. "May I ask which one of you took Graham's shoes?" he calmly inquires.

Everyone in the room is quiet wondering what is about to happen. A look of confusion appears on everyone's face including the two men who brought Graham to his cell. They watch as Archer with his arms crossed circle the two men like a predator circling its wounded prey. However, the two men he's circling around aren't injured by they are about to be pounced on.

Sisko and Riker immediately look at each other. It takes a brief second before Riker fesses up. "I did sir."

Archer glares at Riker causing him to wonder what is up. "Is something wrong?"

Riker's answer causes Archer to get right in his face. "Explain your actions."

"Well sir…" Riker pauses. He can feel every eye on him making the situation considerably uncomfortable for him. "…I thought there would be something hidden in his shoe." He sees Archer stop and look directly at him. "Your orders were to take anything that could possibly be used to escape and I did." he added.

"Did you find anything?" he asked.

"No sir." Riker responded shaking his head.

"I see." Archer's intense stare rattles Riker a bit. He breaks off his stare and immediately looks all around the room. "Listen and I want everybody to hear me now…" He gets every one's attention directed at him. "…we are not soldiers like the one's at Guantanamo Bay. We have more respect for the ones we capture and they are an utter disgrace to not only to the uniform, but also to the United Sates military." he stated with emphasis.

Khan stands there knowing that he's doing this in order to get his point across. She has seen on mission over the years, that even though he captured deadly enemies he treated them with respect showing them that not all soldiers are the ones like the idiots at Guantanamo Bay. Oftentimes, examples have to be made when thinks they have the best of intentions but end up looking like a complete fool.

"As much as I despise the old man for turning his back on Pike, I am still first and foremost a respectful soldier." he reiterated looking straight at Riker. "I don't humiliate the people I capture and leave them shoeless in a cell. Its not how I or the people who serve along with me operate." he added.

"I understand sir."

"Do you now." Archer retorted. "What if I had you stripped down to your boxers and threw you into a cell." he asked. "How would you feel?"

Riker gathers his thoughts but its difficult for him to do because Archer is right in his face. "Embarrassed and humiliated."

Embarrassed is what I'm feeling right now Riker thinks to himself. He can see his fellow solders behind Archer watching in silence as he's being verbally chewed out by him. Riker desperately wanted to turn his head to look at Sisko right beside him but he feared that if he did his head might possibly taken completely off. The way Archer is fuming he didn't want to give him incentive to do so.

"Take his shoes back to him and that is an order." he says gritting his teeth.

Archer watches the much older man slink off grabbing the pair of shoes in question on a nearby table. He sees him not look at anybody as he disappears into the tunnel with shoes in hand heading straight towards Graham's cell. The rest of the team makes themselves scarce as well disappearing into the tunnel leaving the lone female of the group Khan in the room with the two men. There is a brief moment of silence when Mudd makes his presence known.

"Like what you've done with the place Archie." he sarcastically said looking around the building.

"Not my fault…" he responded. "…blame Graham for shutting it down."

"No worries man." Mudd sweeps the couch with his hand causing not only dust to fly up, but the remnants of the shot up wall to fall to the ground below. He turns and plops down making himself comfortable.

"Have a seat." said Khan furrowing her eyebrows at the man.

"You don't like me do you." asked Mudd who is eyeing her up and down.

A hint of disgust appears on Khan's face as she turns to face Archer. "I'll be in my quarters sir." she said giving him a nod.

The Wolverine team leader nods leading her to walk towards the tunnel as Archer watches her disappear into the darkness. "Not much of a talker that one." Mudd said.

"She hates your guts you do know that."

"I think she's just playing hard to get in my opinion." he retorted.

"She pointed a gun right between your eyes for touching her butt." replied Archer. "I distinctly remember your drink ass a couple years ago trying to make a pass at her."

"Its not my fault her butt walked into my hand." responded the former shop owner.

Archer shakes his head and chuckles a bit. "Same old Mudd."

Mudd gives off a hearty laugh that echoes within the main room. When he eventually stops he rubs his stomach and then looks around. "Hey, got any beer Archie?" Archer walks over to a nearby chest, lifts it up, grabs something and throws it over to Mudd. "Water?"

"Its either that or dirty tap water." he answered with a smirk on his face. "Besides, I want my men focused for tomorrow."

Mudd opens the bottled water, takes a sip, and wipes his mouth with his forearm. "So its finally going to happen after 5 years of waiting."

"Yeah it is." he responded back. "Listen, I'm going to rest up. We can talk in the morning before Graham's trial."

Archer turns to walk towards the tunnel. "Hey, you're quarters is up there…" Mudd points to the room up to his right."…or did you forget?" he added quirking his right brow.

"I know." he says with a sly smile on his face as he turns back around disappearing into the tunnel.

XXX

**_NOTE: Chuck vs. The Living Dead was awesome. SHaw is alive and has download the ring's intersect. What I saw from the previews for next Monday is that its going to be an epic battle between Shaw and Chuck. Can't wait! Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Please leave a comment._**


	23. The End Is Near

Sarah lay flat on the cell bed with here hands resting on her stomach and just few inches away lay the gold locket resting on her chest. It was the one thing that Archer allowed her to keep after she was captured and inevitably thrown into the cell with Graham. Speaking of Graham, he is nowhere in sight and the reason for that is she is in a separate cell at the request or should I say demand of a very angry woman.

Riker, after clearing it with Archer, complied and with Sisko as backup escorted to the cell next to Graham's. The anger she had been feeling towards Graham would have escalated to the point where she would kill him herself much to the dismay of Archer. In any case, Sarah wasn't able to get any wink of sleep of night because every time she closed her eyes for few minutes of shut eye she would relive the horrifying moment over and over again in her dreams causing her to wake up in a cold sweat.

She spent the better part of the night just silently mourning the loss of her teammates, but more importantly mourning the loss of the man who completely changed her life forever. There were no more tears for her to shed because she instantly realized that her time was up. It would always be in the back of her mind in every mission but it would quickly go away. Now, its the one thought that is running through her mind.

As a spy, she knew this day would one day come but didn't know when. It was her life, the only thing she lived for because before joining the C.I.A. her family life was in complete shambles. It would be in the C.I.A. that she could immerse herself in a world where you could be anybody but yourself. You could do and say anything knowing it was as an outright fabrication.

Essentially, the C.I.A. became her family and though she has a real family of her own she never felt like she belonged there. The proverbial outcast or black sheep of the family who in their eyes never could live up to her potential but in the eyes of the government saw that unseen potential. A sense of potential that if honed correctly through years of training would inevitably turn into what she eventually became…Graham's best agent.

Its all she knew and has been absolutely good at it. It wasn't until she met a man by the name of Chuck Bartowski who started to make her think there's more to life than just the job. She remembers standing in Casey's Apartment after a briefing with Beckman and Graham concerning the screw up the sting against Lon Kirk where Casey asks her a question that she remembers vividly.

Casey asked whether or not she compromised herself with Chuck. Under normal circumstance she would have immediately said no to having feelings for him but when he asked her that questions she hesitated. Instead of answering his question, she asks him if he ever wanted a normal life causing her to realize she was becoming emotionally attached to Chuck to the point where she actually contemplated reassignment.

She didn't of course, but the more she tried to deny her feelings for him the more she found herself falling in love with him. What sealed it for her was when she accused Chuck's girlfriend at the time Kat that she was cheating on him. The conversation she had with him in the home theater room during Big Mike's surprise birthday party really got to her when Chuck left to the point where she cried.

It's a moment that has lingered with her. However, what made it worthwhile was the day he called her to meet him at the their beach a few days after she suffered a broken arm during a mission at the hands of Xavier Tombs. As she sat there in the sand next to him, so many mixed emotions were going on within in her. She remembers him apologizing for being angry at her and going on about his past with Jill. She felt her almost breaking when he began talking about his relationship with Kat thinking that he finally found someone who he can in a relationship with instead of a fake relationship.

She sort of tuned him about a bit but suddenly tuned back in when Chuck mentioned he broke up with her. She felt a sense of shock and happiness at the same time but didn't show it because he did after all break up with Kat who was or should I say is a great girl. Chuck told her after talking with his sister Ellie that he's always going to have the people who he loves and cares about in constant danger, which made the decision hard for him.

Chuck thanked her and appreciated all the times she saved his life and in that moment she came to the conclusion they were going back to not only becoming government agent protecting the asset, but friends as well. What came next nearly caused her stop from breathing. She accepted and told him if they're still friends to where his response was a resounding no, which was disappointing but she understood.

That disappointment would quickly go away when Chuck said to her the words that she can still here him say to this day. _How can I be friends with someone who my heart belongs with._ Sarah wanted to kiss him right then and there but restrained herself from doing it. Instead, she did the only logical thing she could and that was to give him a bump like the first time 3 and half years ago practically in the same spot she found in him.

That was the start of her love affair with Chuck and despite encountering obstacles along the way they were to face them together. Thinking back what made Chuck special in her eyes wasn't just the big things like selfless risking his own life to save complete strangers, his friends, and his family but the little things as well. One of the little things is Chuck's unmistakable smile.

If she ever was in a rotten mood or she was having a bad day she could always count on his smile to brighten her up. Every morning she would wake up and the first thing she would see if Chuck laying right beside her looking at her with his brown eyes and smiling a smile that would melt any woman's heart. Of all the women in Chuck's life…Jill, Lou, and Kat…she was truly lucky to be the woman to have that smile all to herself.

It saddened her that wouldn't be able to say goodbye to her family one last time. However, she would most definitely be reunited with her spy family but most importantly her best friend, as well as love of her life. She clutched tightly in her hand and look up past the ceiling up towards the Heavens above. _My heart is yours for all time._

XXX

Kirk Archer sat at the edge of the bed tying the laces of his right boot. As he finishes, he looks down at his watch to see its 5 a.m. He then begins to look around for his other boot, which seems to be nowhere in sight. "Have you seen my other boot?" he calmly says.

The question is answered as a female hand reaches over and dangles the other boot in front of his face. Archer's gives off a hint of a smile as he grabs it and quickly puts it on. As he tightens the laces one by one, Khan appears with her right arm strategically covering her from her chest down. She sits up, kisses his right shoulder, and resting her head on his right shoulder.

"Feel better?" Khan softly asked.

"I do…" he responded. "…thanks." he added as he leans over kissing her softly on the lips.

"You needed to release pent up tension and you most certainly did." she softly stated with a seductive smile on her face.

Khan lays back on her side with covers still above her chest. As she lays there looking at him, she couldn't help but recall the events of last night between her and Archer. When she left Archer and Mudd in the main room she went back to her quarters. It was about 5 minutes later, when she heard a knock on the door. She walked up, opened it, and Archer was standing right there in her doorway.

No words were spoken as he rushed in. Before she knew they were both entangled within each other. He was aggressive and so was she. Articles of clothing began hitting the floor one by one as they blindly backed up to her bed inevitably reaching it. They both fell on it with Archer on top and the passion there shared last night was in her own mind completely animalistic. She closes her eyes taking in a very slowly breathe as she revels in the experience that's continues to be fresh within her mind causing her to smile.

Her smile quickly goes away as she feels Archer get up from the bed. When she opens them Archer is standing with her back to her putting on the black v neck long sleeve shirt. After making a few adjustments to his shirt, he turns to look at her. "It's almost over…" Archer pauses and kneels down in front of her a couple of inches away from her face. "…I promise." he added smiling at her.

That promise has been 5 years in the making Khan thought to herself. To her, its what has kept her by side through this whole ordeal and to finally have it come to fruition would bring closure to not only Archer, but for her as well. She has stuck by him and will continue to stick by him no matter what. In her mind, she and Archer can have the life they always wanted as they both disappear be off the grid for good.

It has bee a long time coming. Khan wanted the old Archer back and she is going to get him back. She would be getting back the Archer she knew before Graham betrayed not just him, but Pike as well. He was a man who made her smile and laugh whenever they were together even during important missions. For her, Archer is still that same man and in order to become him again he has to eliminate his former boss.

"I know." Khan responds as she reaches over with her left hand softly caressing his right cheek. "You…" She pauses and then leans in a bit. "…we can both finally have peace and live our lives together." she says with a sense of hope in her voice.

Archer closes his eyes inevitably getting lost in the feeling of the soft caress of Khan's hand on his cheek. To him, it's a feeling of peace that he hasn't felt in a long while ever since Pike died. In that instance, a sense of finality to a situation that has been a tortuous existence within his heart and soul. The past 5 years has been a struggle in patience and though it was hard the time has arrived to exorcise some much needed demons in the form of one Langston Graham.

He knew he would finally get peace once the old man finally fesses up and tells the truth on why he turned his back on his own best friend. The man who mentored him and became a better father than his own old man ever was. It would certainly be a fitting tribute to get justice for a man who served his country well only to turn its back when he needed help the most.

A message will be sent and it will be delivered by the dead body of one former Director of the C.I.A. Langston Graham. Archer immediately slowly opens his eyes and looks at Khan who is smiling at him. He reaches up taking her left hand kissing her palm then turns and leans in to kiss her on the lips. A kiss that tells her that her wish will be granted soon in just of a few hours.

After the moment is over, he leans back to look at her once more. "Get dressed…" he said as he slowly stands up." "…today justice will be served." he added.

XXX

Graham is pacing back and forth in his cell. He now has his shoes returned to him that were previously taken from him by Riker. He wasn't too concerned with that as he's clearly lost in thought thinking about what happened. The events of last night with Sarah left him a bit overwhelmed because quite frankly he hasn't been spoken to like that especially from one of his own agents.

Over the past 30 years, he's been able to intimidate and instill fear in many of his agents who he has encountered and not once have any of them spoke back to him. Why would they he thought to himself. He's the man who has their future in his hands and to even think about expressing their anger or displeasure towards him would most definitely be considered career suicide.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction to look into the eyes of new recruits and see the tell tale signs of fear. In a way, its like blood in the water and he's the shark ready to attack. The look of absolute uncertainty of what is going to happen or what they're going to experience for that matter. The lack of eye contact or looking around in order to try to avoid being called up as a volunteer.

There have been plenty of times where he's actually made a recruit cry, which boosted his ego ten fold. _You have to weed out the weak in order to find the strong._ That has essentially been his motto in regards to potentially finding the best agent out there. An agent who takes orders and even though he or she may disagree with the order its still get accomplished. Its what he expected and then some with certain agents.

When it came to Sarah, she did everything in her power to accomplish every mission she has been sent on. She got the job done by any means necessary and if she screwed up she owned up to it blaming only herself for the mistakes she made while on the mission. To him, he could always count on her to do what she would be order to do without questioning it. She became her go to agent when the chips were down.

To Graham, she has been the only agent other than Bryce Larkin who has lived up to all his expectations. As an agent who when she worked alone was great but when she teamed up with him Larking were considered a formidable not mention an unstoppable team. Whether he knew that they established a relationship was inconsequential to him because as long as they kept the professional separate from their personal life it wouldn't be a problem.

Regardless of what problems, if any, she and Larkin got the jobs done. When Bryce supposedly betrayed his country he quickly observed Sarah's emotional state and how it effected her. From what he could tell speaking to her on the phone and through face to face conversation she heard the betrayal in her voice but she assured him she never let her emotions get the better of her causing her to be unfocused. He believed her.

Thinking about it, of all agents that would have the balls to talk back to him, get right in his face, and stick their finger in his chest he would never have imagined it would be Sarah Walker. Granted there were times where he could see it in her eyes that she wanted to tell him off especially if a mission went bad, but restrained herself knowing that if she did open her mouth to say something she would immediately be reassigned to somewhere like Siberia.

When he was being backed up towards the cell door he could see the absolute saw the rage in her eyes. It was the sort of rage that would bring terrorists to their knees and if she were given the chance to interrogate them they would possibly give up the location of Bin Laden or suffer the wrath of woman who lost the man she loved. Never in his life has he felt that uncomfortable or threatened for his own safety and well being than he experienced just few short hours ago.

He has been face to face with enemies and allies who were pissed off at him to the point of a verbal confrontation never once feeling like uncomfortable. True, there have been moments where he was concerned for his own safety but he was able to come out of it practically unscathed. It was through his training as a spy and being able to think quickly on your feet in order to subdue the situation that he was able to get through it.

However, there is no instructor to teach you or spy manual to read from that helps you get out of situation where an overemotional woman is hell bent on ripping your head off. A woman who told him point blank her love for Chuck isn't a sign of weakness but that of strength. She topped it off by saying she is no longer his puppet and taking the initiative to cut the strings he's pulling by quitting. She dared not disagree with her.

If there was one thing he took out the unfortunate and albeit frightening situation being in that cell with her without any to defending himself with was that he did indeed have the best agent. It took him nearly getting killed by her to finally figure it out. He was truly impressed that he stood up to him knowing that she didn't have anything to lose by speaking her mind because she lost everything when Chuck died.

If there was one regret he has its not telling his secretary that he loves her because she's the only woman who has been able to put up with everything and can not only see through the BS but call him on it. He's cheated death plenty of times as an agent, trained countless agents, and served his country all for the greater good. He stops pacing and standing in the middle of his cell thinking one final thought. _I had a good run and now its time to meet the reaper._

XXX

Chuck, Travis, and Casey arrive in a black S.U.V. and a total of 6 other additional agents accompanying them. They all stand at the entrance of the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary where they immediately unload the gear. There they bring out essential equipment one of them being 2 military inflatable boats with attachable engines. Chuck, Travis, and Casey got on throat mic with PTT button and listening ear coil in addition to the full tactical gear along with the 6 agents.

As they make their preparations, Travis sees Chuck standing in front of the water. He looks to be deep in thought. "You okay buddy?"

Chuck glances over at Travis standing beside him. "I'm fine…" he responded. "…just thinking how Sarah is going to react when she finds out we're not actually dead."

"I'm thinking she'll run over to you and hug you to the point where she'll never lets go." retorted Chuck. "I know my wife would if she thought I was dead and then just showed up out of the blue in order to rescue me." Travis said.

Chuck could only shake her head at his response. "You don't know Sarah like I do man."

A questionable look appears on Travis' face wondering what he means by that. "Well then how would she react."

Chuck pauses for a moment gathering his thoughts. "Do you remember the episode where Kirk and Spock battled to the death on his home world of Vulcan?"

"Yup, Spock suffered a condition known as Pon Farr. Its a syndrome that all Vulcan males painfully endure periodically throughout their adult life." he answered. "He claimed that the cycle occurs every seven years. During this time, they must mate or die.

"Now do you remember what happened after Spock supposedly killed Kirk."

Chuck knew that just like him he was aficionado when it came to info about Star Trek or anything Star Trek related. He wonders if the questions he's asking somehow relate to Sarah's reaction of all three of them being alive but more importantly Chuck himself being alive. "Of course, he told Bones that he is going to resign and then hand himself over to Starfleet in order to face the consequences of his actions for killing Kirk." he retorted.

"When Spock beamed back to Enterprise he learned that Kirk wasn't dead at all." Chuck continues to gaze out at wetlands that begin to gradually lighter as morning sun looms over the horizon. "He was told that Bones injected him with some type of neuroparalyzer drug hat simulated death and knocked him out to convince not only Spock, but his people as well that Kirk died at his hands."

A look of utter confusion appears on Travis' face. "So…" Travis wondered. "…how does that relate to Sarah's reaction?"

"Spock expressed emotions for only a few seconds. In those few seconds the human side of Spock came out as he quickly grabbed Kirk in absolute excitement calling out his first name like any friend would do." informed Chuck. "He smiled and after realizing what he was doing in front of Bones and the nurse he quickly reverted back to his Vulcan ways." he stated. Chuck turns to see a blank look on Travis' face causing him to get to the point. "How it relates to Sarah's reaction to not us being dead is that she'll be happy then will immediately revert into agent mode but not before punching us in the face." added the successful business owner.

"Not us dude, you." Chuck quickly turns to look at Travis. "You…" Travis tilts his head as he points directly at Chuck. "…she's going to punch you in the face."

"Why me?" he quickly inquired.

"Face it dude…" Travis said as he places his right hand on Chuck's left shoulder. "…she'll be mad at you because it was your idea to let her think you were dead."

Chuck lets Travis' words sink in to where he has a look on his face as if he's remembering a situation early on in their budding relationship when they still hiding it from Beckman and Graham. "I tried to sneak up behind Sarah once and give her a surprise hug."

"How did that work for you?" inquired Travis.

"I ended up with an elbow to the back of my head, leg in the groin, and then flipped over on my back." he painfully said. "I would have a broken arm but thankfully she saw it was me before she did." he added.

It would be a lesson learned for Chuck on that particular afternoon he thought to himself. He thought that since there was definitely a thing under the undercover thing there would be playfulness between the two with them. Boy was I wrong. The agent in her quickly kicked in and within the blink of an eye he was on his back looking up at the ceiling with her standing there looking somewhat remorseful.

He never did it again and or even thought about making even an attempt trying to do it. Now that they are officially in a relationship he still wouldn't try it much to the dismay of Casey who thoroughly enjoyed it so much so he supposedly he kept the vid file to watch it when he needs a laugh. As much as he would like to possibly suffer another head injury or not have kids in the near future he's better off just surprising in different ways other than sneaking up behind her.

"Well just think of that but 10 times as worse."

A pained, fearful look slowly grows on Chuck's face as he imagines what might happen upon being face to face with Sarah. The moment between the two men is suddenly interrupted by a resounding Grunt from Casey who makes his presence known. "If you two ladies are finished gabbing away, I suggest we get on the boat and head for the storm tunnel system." growled an annoyed Casey.

The three men hop on their boat with another agent to where Chuck talks to him. "And you are?"

"Agent Scott sir."

Chuck is about to respond back when Casey abruptly chimes in. "Make friends later Bartowski…" he barked. "…sit." he added pointing down with his finger. Chuck quickly complies to his command sitting next to Travis with Casey in front and Agent Scott running the engine. The two men notice 4 plastic black paddles making the assumption that the engine will be cut off and they'll have to paddle the rest of the way. Its at that point, they Casey stand giving the all go signal leading the two boats to speed of towards the storm tunnel opening.

XXX

_**NOTE: Can't wait for the 2 part season finale Chuck...its going to be EPIC! Hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a comment.**_


	24. Truth and Chaos

Archer stands firm with his arms crossed in what looks to be a conference hall located within the bowels of The Wolves Den. As he stand there, the conference hall somewhat resembles the room where The Klingon High Council conducts political, diplomatic, and military business. There is a long vertical table behind him where Khan is currently standing behind.

There is a row of occupied seat minus 3 left unattended in front of him arranged in a large semicircle. A large wolf insignia hangs on the wall behind him instead of the image of the Klingon insignia. The lighting within the room is ominous as it only shines above the center portion of the room leaving the area around it considerably dark. As he stand there, he exudes a look of absolute seriousness anticipating what he has long awaited for.

So many thoughts are racing through his mind at this point. He thinks back to how it all started with the phone call he received from Graham ordering him to do nothing when Pike was captured. It made him sick to his stomach to know that Pike's supposed best friend turned his back on him when he needed him the most and had the audacity to inform him that tough decisions had to be made for the greater good of the country.

Archer knew that was a total crock and if Graham didn't have the balls to save his friend then he felt its his obligation to do it. He owed it to Pike for all that he has taught him not just as a soldier but as a human being as well. It was Pike who became his mentor sharing not only the knowledge he acquired as a spy over the years, but teaching him aspects of the game, as well as, his own tricks of the trade if you will to survive in the field.

When he and his team found him bloody, beaten, and battered body after being tortured his anger towards Graham intensified. It became an even greater incentive for him to bring him home to prove that he's no longer one of us. A solider who used to know the meaning of not leaving a fallen brother behind but now a man with a title behind his name letting others do his dirty work for him.

In his eyes, Graham now hides behind the bureaucracy and politics of it all. The position of C.I.A Director changed him from the solider he used to be to a man sitting behind a cushy desk with a fancy title behind his name. He knew full well he had the power to send a team, any team, his team to be exact to rescue him but because of the sensitive nature of the situation he had to back off.

Pike's death though tragic served as a the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. He's considered himself a tried and true patriot. During his time as an agent and then hand picked leader of the covert opts team Wolverine, he never wavered on the loyalty he has for his country. However, when it came the loyalty concerning the C.I.A. and for the man controlling all the strings of his people there were none.

The moments before he stopped off the plane escorting Pike's body back on U.S. soil, he stood over his casket draped with a U.S. flag over it and made a silent solemn promise to him. He knew that when he take one step off the back of the plane his career would be over. The memory of a respected man such ask Pike would not be erased and forgotten if he had anything to do about it he thought to himself.

Knowing that his career would be over he had nothing to lose in punching Graham in the face when he saw him. It was the perfect opportunity to express how he felt and he would have expressed more of his disgust but he was quickly hauled off to the brig. It felt good and would do it again in a heartbeat. His actions would subsequently have him dishonorably discharged but before leaving he was given a chance to speak his mind.

He remembers standing in the middle of the room facing the panel who were quite possibly expecting a tirade evident by the extra security in the room for precautionary sake. It didn't go that way as he calmly faced the panel with intention of making a point. Archer stated the following quote by Edmund Burke. "All that is needed for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing."

That quote alone said so much without saying a lot and before he left the room he locked eyes with Graham silently telling him with his icy stare that he better watch his back. That was the last he saw of him and now 5 years later he is about to bring him to justice. Its at this point his thoughts are put aside as his focus turns to the man in question and his best agent being escorted in by Riker, Sisko, and O'Brien.

"Welcome." Archer calmly stated with a hint of arrogance in his voice. Riker, Sisko, and O'Brien guide them towards Archer but inevitably stop just a few feet away. They are both in the middle of the room surrounded by Archer's men. Graham's attention has solely focused on his former employee the minute he stepped forth in the room while Sarah, on the other hand, glances around the room to get a clear count of the people in the room. Her attention is then focused on Archer in front of Graham as she sees him lean in and hears him address Graham once again. "Its time for you to pay the piper old man." he says with a smirk on his face.

Sarah glances over at Archer beside who stands there stone faced. She knows this is a no win situation but what she doesn't know is Casey, Travis, and Chuck along with 6 other have arrived and are about to reach the entrance to the water tunnel system. They are currently using the oars to paddle the last 100 ft because they cut the engine to avoid being detected.

XXX

"Can you state your name please." Archer asked Graham who is sitting in a chair in the middle of the room facing his men who are all seated with the exception of Sarah.

There is a brief moment of silence as Graham stares intently at him. "Director of the C.I.A. Langston Graham." he said.

"Director Graham…" Archer stated as he circles around him passing Sarah who is glaring at him. "…how long have you been the head of the C.I.A?." he inquired.

"30 years."

As Archer continues to question Graham, Sarah stands there intently listening to everything being said and at the same time several thoughts run through her mind. First and foremost, she wasn't too fond of defending Graham as her supposed lawyer. Truth be told she hated lawyers because in her mind they were considered scum of the earth who were only in it for the money.

Unfortunately, she agreed to it before Graham's tirade concerning breaking into his office that ultimately caused her to get in his face. She had no choice but to defend the man now and despite not knowing anything about being an actual lawyer she has to rely on what she has watched on television when it comes to the basic lingo that is used, which came in handy as she hears a particular questions currently being asked.

"Objection." Sarah quickly stated. "Relevance?"

"I am merely asking Director Graham what possible motive would he have for turning his back on his best friend..." responded Archer. "…other than he's a coward."

Sarah hears the sound of low laughter around her. She knows that its going to be a losing battle any way she looks at it. The former blonde agents is about to respond back when Graham abruptly speaks up.

"There wasn't any motive behind my decision to not have a team brought in to get Pike out of harm's way." he calmly replied. "Pike knew what the risks were when he took the mission and he was fully capable of giving up his life for the greater good like all government agents do." he added looking directly at Archer.

"The greater good you say." Archer said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. "So what you're telling me is you don't regret it one bit that you could have done something anything to extract him but decided to not lift a finger all because of the greater good." he added. "You're a pathetic old man?"

"Objection!" Sarah quickly stated again.

"I strike that from the record you're honor." he said turning back to look at Khan who is sitting behind the desk. "Oh wait I forget she isn't keeping a record of these proceedings." he amusingly responded. Sarah once again hears another round of low laughter around her. "You are up my dear."

A brief look of disdain appears on Sarah's face as she stares down Archer. She then walks up and stops a few feet from Graham. She pauses for a moment and then begins walking slowly back and forth from side to side. "Director Graham, how long have you and Captain Pike been friends?"

"I've known him for a little over 25 years..." he responded. "…and just to be clear we were colleagues not friends."

"Please elaborate."

"Its true that we've known each other for over 25 years but we kept it strictly on a professional level." he answered.

Graham's response causes Archer to shake his head in disbelief to which Sarah immediately notices. She decides to delve further into the matter. "So you never hung out to get a beer, went fishing, or just watch a ball game together?"

Sarah notices a perturbed look appear on Graham's face but doesn't care one bit. "As you know Agent Walker, friends are considered a liability when you're a spy. " he gruffly responded. "You only have allies not friends."

"I have nothing further." Sarah stated.

When Sarah walks away standing back to where she was before, she immediately beings to wonder if Pike was the only friend Graham had. Of course, finding out he actually had a love life came as a complete surprise to her. She shakes her head a bit knowing that the man she sees sitting down several feet away from him knows only the life of the C.I.A. and nothing else. She actually felt sorry for the man as it shed a whole new light on her former boss.

Archer walks up and past Graham from behind. He walks several feet and then slowly makes a slow u turn inevitably standing right in front of him. He stands for just a second and then points at him. "Director Graham, you stated earlier a spy only has allies." he firmly said. "So tell me, did you trust Pike because he sure as hell couldn't have trusted you after you let him die out there." Archer emphatically stated.

Sarah is about to object for the third time when Graham suddenly stands up causing Archer and his men to be alert. He stands looking down at the floor for a few minutes and then looks up to focus his attention on one man…Archer.

"Its true…" he said turning around staring directly at Archer. "…I didn't trust Captain Pike because as the Director of the C.I.A. you have to be careful who you associate yourself with even if it's a respected colleague."

A look of disgust appears on Archer's face. "You didn't trust him?" he said shaking his head. "Unlike you old man, Captain Pike was the one person many of us in this room would trust our lives with." he angrily added.

"Did he trust you." he says pointing at Archer.

"You have the audacity to say that. Of course he trusted me…" he angrily retorted. "…we had a close relationship."

"Not close enough." Graham responded.

Archer stands there shaking his head in total disbelief. The anger he feels is so overwhelming that his eyebrows furrow and both his hands sly begin to ball tightly into a fist. It takes every ounce of restraint to walk up to him, take out his gun, and shoot him in the head right on the spot. "That's where you're wrong…" he said extending his left arm pointing his finger directly at Graham. "…he was scratch that he is a better than you." he added.

"I agree with you."

The former leader of the covert ops unit shakes his head once again and a small hint of laughter is heard from him. The laughter builds to where it so audible it echoes within the room causing great concern among not only Sarah, but his men especially Riker and Sisko. He once again looks directly into Graham's eyes with absolute seriousness. "I told you old man the reverse psychology crap won't work on me." he says gritting his teeth.

"If you two had such a close relationship of trust between the two of you then tell me this…" He pauses looking at everybody around the room. "…why didn't he tell you he was dying?" he calmly said.

"What!" responded Archer.

XXX

Chuck, Travis, Casey, and the 6 agents that accompanied the three men are at the entrance of the water tunnel system. The first thing that all the men noticed was the smell emanating from within the tunnel causing Chuck to nearly puke but restrains himself from doing so.

"Whoa! What's that smell?" asked Chuck waving his hand in front of face.

"I don't know dude…" Travis answered staring into the tunnel with a sour look on his face. "…but it's rank I know that for sure."

Casey turns around looks at both his teammates giving grunt 30...man up and get both your asses in there. The NSA agents puts on his night vision goggles leading Chuck, Travis and the rest of the men to do so as well. Before they all enter in, Casey turns to Chuck handing him the GPS system.

"You planned it so you lead Bartowski." grunted Casey.

Chuck nods and as he enters the tunnel system he flips down his night vision goggles. The rest of the teams follows behind him. The situation Chuck and the rest of the men are currently experiencing is far less intense than the situation happening in the conference room where Graham just dropped a bomb on Archer concerning his stunning revelation that Pike was dying.

"He told me he was diagnosed with a fatal form of cancer…"Graham stated. "…the doctors gave him a month maybe 2.." he added. "He wanted one final mission as his last hurrah as a spy."

Archer stood there in stunned silence as he took what Graham said in. He couldn't believe that the man standing before him would stoop so low and avoid putting blame on himself by informing him out of the blue that Pike was dying. He didn't want to…he refused to believe it. The anger he feels towards Graham explodes in an all out rage.

"You're lying like you always do!" screamed Archer.

"No…" Graham simply shakes his head. "…no I'm not."

"Prove it then!" Archer demanded.

"Do you still have the text message he sent you?" Graham asked.

There is absolute silence in the room as all eyes are on Archer as he takes out his phone looking at it for just a brief moment. Archer kept the message Pike sent him after all these years but didn't read it all. The two words "I'm Compromised" were all that he read. He didn't have the heart to delete it because it was not only the last message Pike ever sent him.

He immediately goes to his inbox and scrolls through it intently looking for the message. When he finds he opens it reading the following message. _I'm compromised. Negative on rescue. Stay put! That is an order! Envelope will explain why. See Graham. Goodbye._ Once the text message is fully read he turns to Graham. "What envelope?"

"Where is my wallet?" Graham inquired looking around the room.

"Right here." responded Sisko taking it out from his side pocket pants. He quickly tosses it over to Archer who stares at the wallet and then immediately looks at Graham.

"Its a small folded white envelope…" he stated. "…with your name on it."

Archer rifles through Graham's wallet inevitably finding the small folded white envelope. He drops his wallet and unfolds it. He then tears it open dropping the envelope itself to where he has a piece of paper in his possession. Everybody in the room watches as Archer slowly unfolds the paper and reads the following words:

_Kirk,_

_If you're reading this kid then I'm dead. I know you don't know what's going on but you have to understand that the shelf life of spy has a limit. I know my limit is about to run out and it has given me the chance to go out doing what I do best. I've lived a good life and don't have any regrets whatsoever to look back on. I know this sounds cryptic but someday you'll understand and I know you think Graham's an ass but he truly has your best interest at heart. Listen to him and learn from him like you learned from me. If you learned anything that I taught you over the years its this…don't let the job be your life. Remember that and you'll truly be a great spy. Just know I'll be watching over you. I'm very proud of you like a father for a son._

_Pike._

Archer closes his eyes furrowing his eyebrows as he places the paper on his forehead. He knew it was his handwriting and that the old man is indeed telling the truth causing him to then slowly crumple the paper in his right hand. A look of concern appears on Khan's face but before she could check on how he is Archer's eyes open and begins slowly walking around in an erratic manner. It last for only a few moments as he stops in his tracks right in front of Graham who he immediately holds up the paper towards.

"Why…why didn't you give me this 5 years ago?" he angrily stated in a calm manner."

"You punched me remember." he said shaking his head. "When you to stepped off the plane I had the envelope in my pocket ready to hand over to you but you made the wrong choice in decking a high ranking official."

Without warning, Archer punches Graham right across the face. The punch causes Graham to stumble and inevitably falls on the ground mere inches away from Sarah who immediately kneels down to Check on him. Archer takes out his weapon pulling back the handle chambering the bullet and quickly walks over to him aiming it directly in his face. By the look in Archer's eyes he's going to end it now.

XXX

"Sir, what are you doing!" Riker asked.

"Justice!" Archer hollers without looking at Riker. "Its what we all wanted."

"No…" Riker replied walking up to face him shaking his head. "…not like this. Its not what Pike would've wanted." he added grabbing Archer's right hand with the crumpled note in it.

Archer rips his hand away from Riker's grip and turns his aim from Graham immediately towards Riker. The atmosphere in the room because absolutely intense as things take a surprising turn to say the least. "How do you know what Pike would've wanted…" Archer emphatically stated."…huh how!"

"Whoa! Hold up Archer…" he stated backing up with both hands in the air. "…we're on the same side here."

"Archie…" Mudd chimed in. "…get it together man!"

Sarah is in total disbelief at what is happening before her. She knows that Archer's mindset is at a breaking point to where something said could very well set him off causing bullets to fly. The former blonde agent formulates a plan in order to get a weapon in her hand and if this was her last stand she would go out fighting. She's about to put her plan into action when she's interrupted by the sound of Graham's voice.

"I'm sorry." he gruffly said

Graham's sudden apology stuns her to where she can't quite believe it because he's not the type of man to actually apologize for anything? "What did you say?"

"I'm sorry…" responded Graham. "…for what I said last night."

"Likewise sir."

"No…" he said shaking his head. "…you had every right to be angry with me. Besides, I'm not good dealing with…"

"Lady feelings as Casey puts it…" interjected Sarah. "…used to put it." she solemnly added.

Graham nods. "If we don't get out of this alive…" he said. "..its been a privilege working with you Agent Walker." he added.

"You too sir." she responded giving him a nod.

The moment is suddenly interrupted by the appearance of someone standing in front of them. From there view point, its Riker who still has his hands up as Archer aims his weapon at him. Their attention is suddenly broken by the sound of a female voice behind him. When they turn to look behind him, its Khan.

"Archer put your weapon down …" she firmly commanded. "…please sir."

"Listen to her…" Mudd said with a hint of nervous laugher. "…you need to calm down." he added.

"Calm down!" Archer stated shaking his head. "Don't tell me to calm down." he screamed looking around the room. "I am in charge and you all answer to me!" he screamed once again pointing at himself.

The situation is growing intense by the second. Archer's growing erratic behavior causes great concern with everybody in the room especially Khan. She knows she has to calm him down or all that he…they've worked for will go up in flames. This wasn't supposed to happen this way and with the sudden appearance of the Pike's letter addressed to him complicated matters. Her thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the appearance of Sisko who suddenly aims his weapon at Archer.

"Put your weapon down Archer." he firmly stated.

"What are you doing!" asked Khan looking directly at Sisko.

"We didn't sign up for this." he responded. "We just wanted justice of a guilty man who turned his back on a man we all respected." he emphatically stated.

"He's guilty!" Archer screamed.

"Of what Archer!" he screams back. "Graham didn't turn his back on Pike!" screams Sisko once gain pointing at him. "If you had bother to read the whole message we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"It doesn't matter now…" he said pointing his weapon directly at Graham. "…he's still going to pay."

Its at that point Riker takes out his weapon pointing it directly Archer. "It does matter…" he said glancing down at Graham and then back at Archer. "…this isn't right." he screamed.

At this point, the rest of Archer's team has no idea what to do as they stand there in disbelief at what they're witnessing before they're eyes. Riker and Sisko have their weapons point at Archer who has his weapon pointed at Graham. It's an all out standoff between the 3 men none of whom ready to put their guns down anytime soon. The situation is far less volatile where Casey, Travis, Chuck, and the rest of the men are.

The all find themselves huddle around in the darkness in front of a wall. According to the GPS tracking system, Sarah is right behind it. Casey and Travis begin placing C4 on several areas of the wall but not too much that it causes harm to Sarah and Graham because they don't know where they are all located at but what they do know is that there is a lot of muffled screaming. On the other side of the wall, the standoff ensues to the point where Sisko speaks up.

"Khan, don't just stand there..." he emphatically stated. "…do something thing! Whose side are you on anyway?"

"Yeah Khan, do something!" Mudd desperately retorted.

"Shut up!" she quickly respond shooting a hard stare directly at Mudd.

Everyone in the conference room turn their attention to Khan who passes around Sisko and stands on Archer's right side. She suddenly takes out two weapons aiming each at the at the two men in question.

"I 'm on his side." she firmly stated looking at Sisko and Riker. She then looks at Archer giving him a nod to which he reciprocated with a nod back.

The situation has gone from bad to worse to down right chaotic as there is a 3 way standoff ensuing. From behind the wall, Casey and Travis finish up strategically placing C4 on it to where they signal the rest of the team to get ready as they all continue to hear muffled scream from the other side.

"Put your guns down!" Archer commanded.

"You and Khan but yours down Archer!" Sisko commands back.

Back on the other side within the darkness, Casey informs everyone to back up. After being contacted by Chuck, Travis, and the rest of the agents that they are all at a safe distance he prepares himself for all out chaos to ensue. "Fire in the hole." he said to himself as he flips the switch detonating the explosives.

XXX

_**NOTE: Hope you all like this chapter. I'm psyched for the 2 hour Chuck season finale tonight as I will be glued to by tv set. Please leave a comment.**_


	25. Deja Vu

The explosion rocks the conference room and the impact from blast causes everyone one in it to hit the ground. Its within the partially destroyed smoke filled haze room that Sarah opens her eyes to feel someone tightly embracing her. When she turns her head to see who it is she sees its Graham who apparently threw his body over her in order to protect her.

As she comes to that realization, Graham opens his eyes and is somewhat noticeably disoriented. He quickly shakes it off taking a brief moment to look around and then looks directly at Sarah. "Are you okay Sarah?" he asked with concern."

"I'm okay…" she responded. "…thanks." she added.

Graham realizes what he did and quickly lets go leading him to immediately sit up. "Thank me later…" he retorted looking around. "…we still got to get out of here."

As she says that, Sarah and Graham suddenly hear a voice screaming within the haze of smoke in the conference room. "Federal agents! Drop your weapons!"

A sudden realization sets in upon hearing those words. She knew she would have to be the one to tell his friends and family about Chuck's death. Morgan, Anna, Devon, Big Mike, Jeff, Lester, the rest of the Buy More Employees, Chuck's employees at Whiz Kid Inc., and most of all Ellie. She's the one that would be most devastated by the news and would be probably be angry at her possibly blaming his death on her, which is understandable.

The close friendship would most definitely change between the two of them once she told her...all of them who she, Casey, and Chuck really were. She would be fully prepared to have an onslaught of anger come her way to the point where Ellie slaps her in the face. She immeidately shook those thoughts from her mind telling herself not to think about that for the time being because she would eventually cross that bridge once she gets to it.

She's always known the spy life and that is who she but once she met Chuck everything changed for her. He gave her the key, the door to unlock, and inevitably walk through in order to establish a life as the person who she really is DeAnna Wexler. Yet, as Sarah Walker she would make a difference as Chuck did for the past 3 and half years. She wanted to continue to honor his memory by saving the world and protecting not only people in it, but also the one's she loves as well...the ones she cares about like her own family.

"I take back what I said earlier." she said.

"What?"

"That I quit." responded Sarah. "Chuck wouldn't want me to quit. He would have wanted me to continue the work that was started but with a new team."

Graham simply nods and is the first to stand up. He is about to help Sarah up when he's suddenly grabbed from behind locked in a bear hug. Sarah watches as Graham leans his head forward and with as much force as he can muster hits the person in the face with the back of his head. The impact stuns the unknown person in question just enough to loosen his grip to where he push the individual's arms up over his head.

He then gives a hard right elbow to their side and then a swinging back elbow to the back of their head. When the person is bent over he spins around grabbing the back of their head by the hair and with as much force as Graham can muster rams their face against his knee ultimately knocking him out to ground. From Sarah point of view it all happens in a matter of seconds.

Graham looks down to see its not Archer but one of his lackeys but not one that he's personally encountered. He quickly turns to Sarah who is absolutely stunned disbelief at what she just saw. The wily veteran helps her up but then suddenly slings her forward ending up behind him. When Sarah turns around to face him, she sees him enthralled in a hand to hand battle with someone else.

After several palm strikes to the gut and face then a well placed side kick to the left knee the unknown figure is on one knee where he is immediately dispatched as his neck is immediately broken. Sarah is completely awestruck at Graham's fighting ability and as he turns around she sees a whole new side of Graham that she has never seen before. He take a brief moment to gather himself checking the body for anything useful but is interrupted when he hears his namebeing screamed out.

"GRAHAM!"

Graham quickly turns to see Archer in a somewhat disoriented state aiming his weapon at him. He wasted no time in running forward full force grabbing Sarah in the process as Archer begins firing his weapon in his direction. They run not only towards the cover of the overturned table that was evidently knocked from the stage to the floor below but to the wolverine insignia that now has a hole where its mouth used to be where they see a slew of armed agents filing out and taking cover all-the-while returning fire as well.

Sarah and Graham race over as a slew of bullets whiz past them leading both to believe its not just Archer shooting at them. When the two are in close proximity to the table they both dive over it but not before one bullet hits Graham in the right leg. When they both land on the other side they quickly pin themselves to the back of the table itself.

After a brief moment, the two find themselves flanked on either side of them by armed agents

Sarah's attention is focused back on Graham when she hears him growls in pain. She turns to see him wincing as he quickly grabs his left leg to where Sarah immediately takes notice. "You're hit." she said with concern.

"I'll live…" responded Graham. "…it went clean through." he added.

Sarah immediately rips the right sleeve of her black shirt and ties it tightly around his upper left thigh to control the bleeding. When she's done, she feels a hand on her right shoulder causing her to immediately turn to him in order to immediately speak to the agent. When she does, she is absolutely stunned as to the person who is kneeling right in front of her to her left.

"Hey partner…" Casey states expressing a smirk. "…miss me?"

"Casey!" she said shaking her head. "You're supposed to be dead." she added.

"And miss out on the gunplay..." he grunted. "...not a chance."

Sarah watches as a seemingly very much alive Casey peers over the table returning fire. As she does, another agent appears kneeling in front of her and in stunned shock she sees that its Travis. "Sarah are you all right?" he inquired checking her over for any injuries.

"I'm fine…" she said in disbelief. "…you're alive!"

"Its good to see you too Sarah." Travis responded. He turns his attention to Graham and is about to head over to him. "Don't worry Director we'll get you …"

Travis doesn't finish his sentence because Sarah immediately grabs him pulling him back and closely in to where he can only hear her. "If you and Casey are alive…" she pauses. "…then tell me where is Chuck?" Sarah asked with determined desperation in her voice.

Travis' only response is to turn his head a bit giving a nod for her to look behind her. Sarah slowly turns around to see Chuck kneeling right behind her checking on Graham and inevitably turns to see her with a smile on his face. It's the same unforgettable smile she has woken up to every morning since they moved in together. As she looks at him, her bottom lip begins to quiver and tears begin to form to where they being to drop fall down her cheek.

She slowly leans forward causing Chuck to think she's going in to give him a kiss but what he get is something much different…a slap him in the face. The slap comes as total surprise to not only Travis and Casey, but to Chuck as well. "What the…" he responded rubbing his cheek." "…what was that for?"

Sarah doesn't say a word as she looks at him with tears in her eyes at the man she love who she thought died in an explosion. The same man who is kneeling before her alive and well. So many emotions are running through at this point as she sees him rubbing his check wondering why she did that to him. It's at that point, Sarah grabs Chuck and kisses him hard not only in front of Casey and Travis, but in front of Graham as well.

XXX

Archer is still firing his weapon like a madman directly at the wooden table where Graham is currently behind. He's filled with rage and is about to runs towards Graham's vicinity when he's suddenly grabbed by the arm and stopped in his tracks. He immediately turns around pointing the gun at the person in question to which he found out is Khan.

"Archer we got to get out of here…" she screamed. "…now!"

"No…" responded Archer shaking his head. "…not till I put a bullet in Graham's head."

Khan knows they are seriously outnumbered at this point. She has to get through to Archer that his vendetta against Graham is now pointless and they must make their escape now or face being apprehended. "If you love me Kirk…" she emphatically stated pulling him in closer to speak to him. "…then come with me or we'll never see each other again." she added nearly tearing up.

Archer has a conflicted look on his face as he looks back and forth from Graham's location to Khan. After what seems like forever for Khan, she sees Archer give a deep exhale of frustration as he chooses to go with her. They both make their escape out of the conference hall unable to accomplish the goal at hand much to the chagrin of Archer. As for Chuck and Sarah, they are still locked in a kiss when Sarah suddenly separates her lips from Chuck's.

As they both look at each other they both hear the sound of a throat being cleared causing them to turn seeing Graham acknowledging his presence to the two. Chuck returns his attention back to Sarah who suddenly sees her leans forward to where he quickly put his hands up in front of his face. "Don't hit me." he blurted out.

"I'm not going to hit you." she replied with a mixture of confusion and happiness.

"Technically you did." Travis responded looking at Sarah then directly at Chuck. "I told you she was going to hit you dude. " he added.

To Chuck, the context of the word hit in regards to being punched in the face is totally different than being slapped in the face. In his own mind, its like the word captain in regards to Kirk and Picard. True, they are captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise but its too totally different class of starships. Kirk helmed the Constitution Class whereas Picard helmed the Galaxy class. He finds himself shaking his head in total disagreement.

"No she didn't. She slapped me there is a difference" retorted the brown haired. "In order to hit me it would have to be with a closed fist, she used an open hand." he emphasized.

Casey can't believe what he's hearing and decides to put his 2 cents worth into the conversation. "How about I technically punch and slap both you numbnuts in the face." he spitted out interjecting himself into what he considers is the most stupidest conversation he has ever heard. "You two realize we're on a rescue mission right now so get it together."

"How did you find us?" Sarah asked looking directly at Chuck.

Chuck is about to respond when Casey interjects once again. "Tell her later Chuck, we got to get Graham out of here." he stated. "Sarah, you and Chuck get Graham out of here while Travis, the other agents, and I deal with these guys." ordered Casey.

"I need a gun." she requested.

Casey hands Sarah a spare to where she immediately pulls back the handle to ready her weapon for action. He also gives her an ear piece in order to communicate with her. She immediately places it in her ear and as she does Graham makes a request of his own. "Give me a gun. " says Graham. Team Chuck turns to look at Graham who is serious about what he just said, "I'm not letting you have all fun." he said with a smirk on his face.

Travis pulls out his spare weapon handing it over to Graham. "Here you go Director." he responded giving a slight nod his way.

Graham nods back as his response. Its at this point Casey points over to an open door over at the right center of the room. "We'll cover you three while you make a break for it…" barked Casey. "…understand?"

All three nod leading Chuck to turn to Graham. "Can you stand sir?"

"Just help me up…" he responded. "…and I'll be able to manage the rest.

Chuck nods at his request and with everyone on the same page Casey signals to Travis to get ready. As they peer over the wooden table, he nods as both men start unloading rapid fire shots leading Chuck, Sarah, and a injured Graham to book it towards the open corridor located at the right center of the room. It Graham, Chuck, and then Sarah following closely behind the two of them as they maneuver around the debris in the conference room. They are about several feet away from the corridor when out of nowhere Chuck is tackled to the ground.

"Chuck!" Sarah screamed.

"Don't worry about me…" he screamed back. "…just get Graham out of here!" he added as he struggles on the ground with the unknown assailant.

Sarah stands there conflicted in wanting to help Chuck but her instincts as an agent tells her to get Graham to safety. She just came back from the dead and now he may not end up seeing him again. Her choice is made for you when Graham's screaming voice snaps her out it. "Agent Walker lets go!"

She takes one last look at Chuck who is otherwise occupied at the moment. "Go! Go!" Chuck screamed.

Chuck's words cause Sarah to turn and follow Graham into the Corridor. After disappearing through the corridor, Chuck attention is turned to the man that tackled him. When the man looks straight at him it's Archer best friend and black market arms dealer Malcolm Mudd. Chuck punches him in the face with a right cross but it doesn't have any effect on the portly man.

Mudd's response is to simply express a hint of a smirk on his face as he forcefully presses his left forearm down on to Chuck's throat. He then reach back for something and when he brings it forward it's a military style knife and upon seeing it causes Chuck's eyes to widen. He adjusts the way he's holding it to where the blade faces down and coming ever so close to his face but is forced back as much as he can by Chuck's left forearm against Mudd's right wrist.

The all out struggle is back and forth but Chuck soon realizes that he's about to lose the battle. The blade is mere inches away from his face when he sees with his peripheral vision someone quickly coming up on the right side. "Hey!" Chuck hears being yelled out.

The spy who didn't want to be a spy in the beginning sees Mudd look up and then get hit right across the upper part of his body including his face with the top end of a chair. Mudd is immediately knocked out as he falls back on to his back. Chuck lays there catching his breathe and as he does he sees Casey hovering over him looking at the man who broke a stool across his back at the pawn shop.

"Thanks Casey." said an out of breathe chuck.

Casey responds with a resounding grunt as he tosses the remaining wooden legs of the chair in his hands on Mudd's unconscious body.

XXX

A long semi lit corridor seemingly stretches for miles with a small light at the far end shines brightly. Its eerily quiet as sporadic sounds of dripping water are heard echoing throughout the corridor. The sounds of dripping water is suddenly replaced with the echoing sounds of heavy foot steps of more than one person is heard stomping the ground. As the foot steps get heavier and heavier a female voice is heard.

"We're almost there!" the female voice screamed. "Just hang on a little longer."

"Don't worry about me Sarah!" the male voice screamed back. "Keep running!"

An armed Sarah continues running up the corridor towards the light at the end of the corridor. She is highly aware of not only what's behind her but she's certainly aware of who she has in front of her as well…Graham. The intensity of the situation is palpable as the two people are breathing heavily and after running what seems like forever the beleaguered C.I.A. director stumbles to where he falls to the ground.

Sarah rushes to his side all-the-while her weapon drawn aiming it down the corridor they just run up from. "Are you okay sir!"

The student and her mentor went through a tumultuous battle getting to this particular point and nothing would stop both them from escaping. She quickly looks him over for any additional injuries that he may have suffered. It takes only a few seconds to assess that he's fine despite suffering a gun shot wound to his left leg, which hasn't hampered heart him at all.

It was a amazing sight indeed witnessing Graham in action and from what she saw of her mentor he still had it. She had never in her life seen the absolute intensity emanating from his eyes, as well as, the smirk on his face as he apparently enjoyed getting into the mix of things against his much younger adversaries. Graham looks up at her as is about to respond when bullets start flying in their direction.

The two agents simultaneously draw their weapons firing several rounds down the corridor instantly dropping one of Archer's men. They continue to leave their guns aimed down the corridor anticipating the possibility of more gunfire. For the moment, things seem relatively safe allowing Graham to respond to his best agent.

"Agent Walker stay focused!" hollered an out of breathe Graham as he grits his teeth from the pain he feels in his left leg.

_"_How is your leg?"

"Don't focus on my leg. Focus on getting out of here and then we'll deal with my leg. That's an order!" he emphatically stated.

Sarah nods as she cautiously walks over to the fallen soldier with gun in hand. When she looks down she sees it's the dead body of than who sat in the van with her along with Khan, Mudd, amd Archer…O'Brien. Its at this point, she suddenly has a feeling of deja vu as if she's done this before causing her to immediately look around at her surroundings. The long dark tunnel, the light at the end of it, shooting down one of Archer's men…it was all in her dream.

She vividly remembers the events afterwards as she contacts the rest of her team. Sarah knew that in her dream that all 3 of her teammates died leaving her in utter shambles, especially when it came to Chuck. The last time she saw Chuck, he was on the ground after being tackled by one of Archer's men. She decides not to contact Casey and Travis but instead immediately contacts Chuck.

"Chuck come in. Do you copy!" she calmly stated. She doesn't hear a thing causing her heart to not only race but it also causes her to imagine the worst. However, she refuses to let her dream become a reality causing her to try once more. "Chuck!" she yelled.

"_Hey!"_ responded Chuck. _"I heard you the first time." _he added..

Sarah is absolutely relieved to hear Chuck's voice as a hint of a smile appears on her face. "Are you okay? Why didn't you respond?" she quickly asked."

_"Yes to the first question and you didn't give me time to respond to the second."_

She shakes head and can help but feel amused at what Chuck said. He always seems to make her smile or even laugh during a perilous situation. "How are Casey and Travis?

She is expecting to hear Chuck respond back but instead hears Travis. _"I'm deaf now and I think you busted Casey's eardrum."_

_"We got things under control Walker."_ Casey responded. _"What's your 20?"_

Sarah is again relieved to hear that her team is okay, especially Chuck. "I'm in a tunnel and I'm about to head out with Graham." she retorted standing next to him. "I don't know exactly where I am?"

_"Don't worry, we know where you are."_

Chuck response causes her to wonder how they know where she is. She quickly puts those thoughts aside and turns to look directly at Graham. "Let's move it."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

They run towards the entrance with Sarah bringing up the rear and at the same time aims her weapon down the corridor. She knows they aren't out of the woods yet as they both run as hard and as fast as they can towards the opening of the tunnel. They inevitably reach it but they quickly an obstacle as they run out…an armed Riker and Sisko.

Sarah and Graham immediately stop in their tracks aiming their weapons directly at Riker and Sisko who do the same. From Sarah's point of view, the two men were able to escape firefight seemingly unscathed. An immediate standoff ensues with all 4 people aiming their weapons at each other.

XXX

"Put your guns down!" demanded Sarah.

"Funny…" Sisko responded back. "…we were going to say the exact same thing." he added.

"We're not here to shoot them." chimed in Riker looking directly at Sisko. "You can trust us." he said turning to Graham and Sarah.

As much as Graham is in considerable pain standing there aiming his weapon at the two men, he doesn't let Riker and Sisko see it. "How do we know we can trust you." inquired Graham.

Sarah doesn't trust them at all since they are still a part of Archer's team. In her mind, what happened in the conference room could have been all for show in order to lull both of them into a false sense of security. The two men put in a very convincing performance but the two needed more than just saying they can trust them in order to show they aren't being set up she thinks to herself.

She glances at Graham trying to read him. From what she can tell, he's definitely in pain as he puts more his weight on the right side of his body. She knows he's trying to be strong her knowing full well he's lost some blood by the apparent trail that he's left since escaping the conference hall. He's come this far and if she knows Graham he will stand there until the two men put their guns down or he passes out.

The blonde agent witnesses Riker and Sisko glance at each other. They slowly lower their guns in response to Graham's question. "We didn't sign up for this." Sisko said shaking his head. "Archer is out of his mind."

Sarah turns to Graham to see what he thinks. He looks at the two men before and makes a judgment call. After a brief moment, he lowers his gun causing Sarah to follow suit.

"Where were you two running to?" Sarah asked

"There's a helipad just beyond those trees over there." Riker says pointing several yards away. "Archer thought of a contingency plan just in case_ if_ things went sour."

"How many?

"Two." Sisko replied holding two fingers up.

"I know you two to be honorable men." "Graham painfully stated. "Pike would be proud of you two for doing the right thing."

"We are sir..." Riker nods. "...and we want to keep it that way."

As the Director of the C.I.A for well over 30 years, he's kept tabs on practically every agent whether they've crossed his path or not, especially those who have served under/with Pike. As a man who has known him for a long time, he can truly bring out the best in potential agents unlike him who can apparently bring out the worst. He had a way with him that you couldn't help but like him, as well as respect him.

To be perfectly honest, he was a bit jealous concerning that particular factoid. If Pike was the good guy at "The Farm" who took the time to talk to potential agents whenever they need it then he was the quintessential bad guy. He's the kind of who got on everybody's case whether they did bad or good, which he played the role quite nicely because quite frankly being the bad guy is fun he thought to himself.

When it came to Riker and Sisko, he knew that they are two top notch guys with service records to prove it. They were possibly coherst into joining his team by absolutely loyalty to Pike and what he stood for. Archer was right about one thing and that Pike was indeed a better man than him. When people like him chose the greater good in order save the country over having a personal life he chose both and was able to juggle both.

Graham finally admits to himself Pike wasn't just a colleague he was a friend…his best friend to be exact. After years of denying it he finally accepts it to where he glances up at the heavens giving a quick nod and silently saying I'm sorry. "As the Director of the C.I.A., I clear you two of any wrong doing." states Graham.

"Thanks you sir."

Sarah watches as the Riker and Sisko reach out for a handshake. She witnesses a bit of hesitation on Graham's part but he reaches out to shake their hands. As he is about to shake Riker's hand, shots are fired to where Sarah and Graham see Riker and Sisko fall forward as they're both shot in the chest. The mentor and his student simultaneously turn aiming their weapons to find Archer pointing his gun at the both of them.

"Drop your gun Archer." Graham screamed. "You can't win. As you can clearly see you're outnumbered." he added.

"Are you sure about that?" responded Archer as a smirk appears on his face.

As he says that, Sarah is hit hard in the back of the head from behind by butt of Khan's gun. Graham reacts but not in time as he is kicked in the left leg that has been shot causing him to scream out in pain to where he fall to the ground next to a disoriented Sarah. He sees Khan immediately kick her in the face knocking Sarah completely. Graham winces in pain as he watches Khan step forward and then turn around in order to stand next to Archer with her weapon still pointed at Graham.

"We're going to take a little ride Graham." he said hovering he and Sarah. "I going to put an end to you and your best agent here once and for all." he added with a menacing tone.

XXX

_**NOTE: The 2 hour season finale was mind blowing as everybody with the exception of the entire Buy More staff knows Chuck secret. Can't wait for season 4 with Mama B and new enemies to deal. Please leave a comment.**_


	26. The Sky Is The Limit

Graham stares into the face of Archer who is pointing his weapon at him. He looks down next to him to see the unconscious body of Sarah lying below him at his feet. He glances back to see Khan get into the cockpit of the Bell UH-1D Iroquois helicopter. She begins turning on several switches to the point where Graham hears the devices on the cockpit console switch on.

As Graham is slumped over to his side of the seat grabbing his left leg wincing in pain, he gives an icy glare towards the man in front of him. From his point of view, he no longer sees the cool, calm and collected Archer he first encountered him at the base of his base of operations. The arrogance and confidence he exuded standing over him several nights ago has been replaced with someone who has absolutely nothing to lose whereby making a very dangerous man.

It doesn't take a genius to know he's going to either shoot the both of them and throw their bodies out of the copter or throw them out while their still alive in order to slowly but surely experience an agonizing death in mid air he thinks to himself. The erratic and obviously irrational behavior he's currently exhibiting says to him that his state of mind is all over the place.

The injured director notices Archer's eyes are darting back and forth as if he's arguing with himself. A mental battle in which he slowly losing every second of every minute that passes by. What he also notices is that he's been repeatedly biting his fingernails which also tells him that up until now everything has gone to plan but after reading Pike letter completely sent him over the edge.

At that moment all that he knew and that that he worked hard for crumbled underneath him. The plan was to get the truth out of him on why he supposedly turned his back on his best friend 5 years ago and he indeed get the truth but not the one he wanted. As Archer read the letter, he could tell he was going a mixture of emotions as he possibly went through feelings off confusion, disbelief, denial, and ultimately anger.

However, what he most certainly didn't go through was the feeling of acceptance that his mentor is gone. The events of his death afterwards would lead him down a road that he would never come back from. He has held on tightly to the finding out the truth for so long that it became an absolute obsession. An obsession that inevitably became his downfall to where adding murder of two government agents to the list of charges he's facing.

"You're not getting away with this." Graham hollers shaking his head.

"That's where you're wrong." Archer responded. "I'll be long gone and off the grid. The C.I.A., you, Pike, you all taught me well remember." he added with a hint of laughter.

"My people will never stop looking for you." Graham pushes himself up in order to look him eye to eye. "They will hunt you down Archer. Wherever you are, whatever identity you chose to become they will find you regardless." he added. "Trust me." he emphatically stated.

"Is that supposed to scare me?"

"Let me share something with you…" Graham firmly stated as leans in "…the team you tried to kill at the pawn shop is alive.

The news of the apparent survival of the 3 men that he encountered and supposedly killed by way of a grenade launcher was disappointing to say the least. He thought he had all the bases covered when he blew up Mudd's business with them inside. To Archer, its merely a setback that can easily be rectified by more planning whereby deepening his resolve to finish the job but he has to regroup in order to do so.

_I can be off grid as long as it takes_. Archer wasn't lying about that because as an agent and as former member of a covert ops unit his primary objective was to complete the mission then disappear. The C.I.A., mainly Pike and Graham, trained him to just that and he could only laugh on the inside at the thought of being able to not be heard or seen from again because of their training.

"Do you have a point to this old man?" Archer asked shaking his head considerably amused.

"My point is go ahead and kill me but if you kill Agent Walker you will have Agent Casey, Agent Riley, and most of all Chuck breathing down your neck." emphatically stated Graham.

Archer's response is to merely smirk. "I would like to see them try."

His attention is abruptly interrupted when he not only hears the engines rev up but sees the chopper's rotor blades above slowly begin to spin. After a brief moment, it fully spinning and then prepares to lift off the ground. As this happens, the 3 male members of Team Chuck along with 2 agents run out of the from the tunnel opening finding the dead bodies of Riker and Sisko on the ground.

"Do you hear that?" Travis asked look around to find the exact location of the noise.

"Yeah, it sounds like a helicopter." Chuck said.

"There!" Casey immediately point a few yards ahead of them.

All 5 men see Archer's helicopter rise above the trees. From they're view they see Graham being held at gunpoint by Archer with Sarah apparently laying unconscious on the floor of the chopper.

Chuck's eyes immediately widen. "Sarah." he quickly said.

As the helicopter heads off to the southwest, Chuck is about to run towards the trees where the helicopter lifted off from but is abruptly stopped by Casey. "Where are you going?"

"Remember when he saw the satellite image of Archer's base?" Chuck said looking at both Travis and Casey. "When I was scanning the area on screen, I saw a fairly large helipad with 2 choppers on it." he added. "Archer's already took the first one. Come on Casey we have to act fast or they are going to get away!" he emphatically stated.

Casey is silent for a brief moment. "Travis!"

"Yeah."

Casey immediately look at the two agents behind him and makes a quick decision. "You." says Casey pointing to the agent to the left.

"Agent Scott sir."

"Go with Bartowski." ordered Casey.

"I'm driving." quickly stated Travis looking at Agent Scott.

Travis and Agent Scott head towards the other helicopter followed by Chuck. Before he runs off he turns back to throw the GPS tracking system towards Casey who catches it. Casey stands there holding it in the air wondering why he has it in his possession. "What do I do with this?"

"Track Sarah!" he screamed back running after Travis and Agent Scott who are halfway to the helipad.

Casey gives a grunt as he turns to see the helicopter that holds Archer flying off. He looks down at the GPS tracking system in his right hand and then turns to the agent that is behind him. "Let's go." he ordered. He and the agent head back into the tunnel as Chuck, Travis, and Agent Scott head towards the other chopper.

XXX

Chuck, Travis and Agent Scott are up in the air approximately 9, 000 ft. and are on the tail of Archer. Travis is on the stick and Chuck is riding shotgun while Agent Scott is situated in between them kneeling down. All three men have head phones on as they intently focused on catching up with Archer, especially Chuck. As he's sitting there, Travis notices Chuck is a bit on edge because of Sarah so he decides to distract him for a bit.

"I wish were in a runabout." he said looking over at Chuck. "We would get to Archer a whole lot faster don't you think Chuck?"

A brief momentary silence is heard from Chuck. He sits in the passenger seat of the chopper intently looking at the window with a look of concern for Sarah's safety. Travis thinks the tactic didn't work until he hears Chuck respond back to him.

"Which class?"

Travis glances at Chuck. "What?"

"Which class Trav" he said again. "Class matters you know."

Travis turns to look at his fellow Star Trek aficionado and gives him his answer. "Danube."

"Deep Space 9."

"Yup"

As this is happening, Agent Scott is looking at Chuck and Travis wondering what in the world the two men in front of him are talking about. He has no idea what a runabout, a Danube, or what even Deep Space 9 is for that matter. For all he knows it could be some top secret military plane, helicopter, or drone capable of hitting a specific target with pinpoint accuracy.

As much as he would like to speak up and somehow be involved in the conversation he wouldn't know or even understand any of it. He's a fairly new agent, a year out of "The Farm" and was immediately assigned to help the best joint N.S.A/C.I.A team the government has ever had. As a newbie, he's pretty much all business and even though he consideries what Chuck and Travis are doing unprofessional he continues listening to the seemingly uninteresting conversation they're having.

"Maximum warp cability."

"5."

"Oh nice choice." Chuck said raising his eyebrows and nodding. "Is it armed?"

"Of course." replied Travis. "Just six type VI phaser arrays and magazine of 24 photon torpedoes. " he added.

Chuck nods. "What no tractor beam?"

Travis turns his head towards Chuck. "Would you like a tractor beam installed."

"That would be nice." Chuck retorted. "No Federation starship or smaller Federation starship would be complete without it."

"Fine you have a tractor beam." replied Travis shaking his head in amusement.

"Thank you."

"There is moment of silence between the two men leading Agent Scott to believe they're done discussing whatever they were discussing. Form what they were talking about he speculated that it has something to do with science fiction or fantasy type movie/television show. To Scott, he wasn't much into science fiction or tv for that matter as he was more of a outdoorsy, sports kind of guy.

He would much rather enjoy being in the sun and getting exercise rather than being inside behind a computer or in front of a television watching scifi movies. Scott couldn't help but shake his head at the two men in front of him as he believed that they probably didn't have a social life or have girlfriends the way they were talking. He enjoys the silence as he looks forward at Archer's helicopter gets slowly but surely closer. Its at his point, the silence is suddenly broken once again by Chuck once again.

"Does it have a transporter system?"

Agent Scott immediately hangs his head shaking it around in disbelief as the conversation continues. Chuck turns to Travis and is about to answer his question when he looks down behind him noticing Scott shaking his head to which Travis notices as well. "Agent Scott you okay?"

"What?" he responded quickly lifting his head looking forward. "Yeah sir, I'm fine."

"Feel free to talk and speak up." Chuck stated looking back at him. "I forgot you were even with us." he added.

"Yeah man and don't worry about calling us sir because we're pretty much a relaxed team. Not so much Casey though." said Travis. "Plus, you don't have to follow procedure because as you may not know we're considered an unorthodox team." he added. Also, as Chuck said call us by our first names. My name is Travis by the way or Trav for short."

"Trav…Chuck." he replied looking straight ahead.

"See there you go." Chuck nods with a smile on his face. "Now, doesn't that feel good. It just rolls of the tongue like butter." he said.

"No…" he responded shaking his head and pointing in front of him. "…look."

The two men look forward to see Archer's chopper several yards away. A look of absolute seriousness appear on both their faces. They know now that the time for joking around and talking about runabouts is over as they now have a serious matter to attend to in trying to save Graham and Sarah. The big question is how?

XXX

The atmosphere inside Archer's copter was extremely intense as he continues aiming his weapon at Graham. The situation hasn't changed any as the injured director is still favoring his left leg and at the same time checks on the status of Sarah who still lays unconscious on the floor below. In Archer's mind, the time to finally exact his revenge will soon be at hand as he quickly looks over the D.C. terrain.

It's a terrain filled with endless possibilities to drop two people to their deaths and from the looks of things he's itching to do so. The look in Archer's eyes spoke volumes as if the lights were on but there was truly nobody home. It seemed to Graham that his emotions were clearly in control and trying to be rational, as well as smart about the whole situation has been completely thrown out the window, so to speak.

Graham relocated back to his original position as he's leaning on his left side putting as much pressure on his left leg with both his hands. As he's leaning to his left with his head just slightly sticking out to where his hair is blowing in the wind, he sees another copter behind them slowly but surely gaining ground heading their way. He makes a decision that is all for the greater good.

"Archer!" yelled Graham.

"What is it old man?" he responded.

"I'm tired of waiting." he saed. "Why don't you just shoot me in the head and get it over with."

Upon hearing that, Archer immediately stands extending his right arm aiming his weapon straight at Graham's head. A twisted, cynical smile appears on his face as he stands over Sarah and glares at his former boss possibly for the last time. As he peers down to see Sarah open her right eyes and give him a wink signaling him that she's about to strike. Its now or never Graham thinks to himself as all of Archer's focus is on him.

Sarah immediately strikes throwing up a straight palm strike hitting Archer right in the groin, which causes him to bend down. As he does that, Graham grabs his left wrist pushing off to the right to the point where the gun goes off ripping through the metal nearly hitting Khan in the cockpit. The palm strike to the groin does effect him but no enough as he endures the pain all-the-while in a struggling match with Graham for possession of the gun.

Sarah quickly raises up and joins in the melee in order to help Graham as the injury to his leg is giving him limited mobility. In addition to that, he has lost a majority of blood due to the gun shot he received by the apparent drops of blood accumulated into a large pool in the area where he has been seated. In the confined space of the helicopter she does her best in attacking areas of the Archer's body that are exposed such as his legs, knees, and face.

Unfortunately, as good as Sarah is in close hand to hand combat Archer is equally as good. The more times she goes for the legs, knees, and face he is able to block the shots, hits, and kicks she's throwing at him all-the-while trying her best to not only get Graham shot, but her as well. Sarah effort eventually pay as he get a hard right elbow in to Archer right side and then pushes his face with as much strength as she can must to where he rams the back of his against a metal pipe within the chopper causing him to drop the gun on the floor.

The blonde agent lunges for the gun but gets tripped by a disoriented Archer who back hands Graham in the face causing him to fall back to his seat. As this is happening, Chuck's chopper pulls up along side them on their right to where all three witness the chaos that is ensuing from within. Khan who is busy flying the chopper looks back to see the battle going on behind her but can't do anything about it.

She then turns looking to her left seeing the other chopper. Captain Khan takes out her weapon, slides the small slot on open her door window, and aims it straight at Chuck, Travis, and Agent Scott. She fires several shoot at their direction to where one bullet hit's the chopper's main window and another hit Chuck's door coming mere inches away of being shot himself. This causes Travis to pull back a bit to avoid another barrage of fire from Khan.

Meanwhile, the battle between Archer, Graham, and Sarah still commences. Sarah has Archer's gun in her possession and quickly turns to shoot him but what she finds is him using Graham as a human shield holding a knife just under his throat. "Put your gun down Agent Walker!" yelled Archer.

As Sarah kneels there aiming Archer's weapon straight at him with her blonde locks blowing in the wind, Chuck's chopper suddenly appears in the distance behind her. Sarah quickly looks back and returns her attention to Archer who has Graham in his clutches as he has his left arm wrapped around his neck pressing the sharp serrated knife hard against his neck.

"Shoot him Sarah!" Graham screamed. Shoot!

"Make your choice Sarah!" Archer screamed. "The old man's life depends on it!" he added.

"SHOOT!" yelled Graham once again.

Sarah kneels there with a look of intensity in her eyes. I have a perfect head shot she think to herself and knows he can be taken out just like that. However, with the instability of the chopper she could very well end up shooting Graham in the chest or face. She grips the gun tighter and after taking a deep breathe makes the pivotal decision…she puts the gun down and immediately holds her hands up.

"Good girl. Now kick the gun over to me." he screamed. Sarah does indeed kick the gun nut directly out of the copter falling at least 9000 ft to ground below. Archer glances outside and then back at Sarah. "Wrong move my dear."

As he says that, she sees Kahn aiming her weapon and just as she shoots off a round she suddenly dives outside much to the surprise of both Archer and Graham. A smirk appears on Archer's face as he arrogantly pats Graham on the top of his chest who exudes a look of shock on his face.

XXX

The former Wolverine team leader feels victorious as he pushes himself up with an injured Graham in his clutches. He forces greatly weakened Graham to move forward to peer over the edge of the opening and when they do Archer sees Sarah hanging on for dear life on the copter's metal landing gear. Archer is so impressed that she is still alive he can't help but smile.

Meanwhile, over at Chuck's chopper Travis immediately tells Chuck to hold the stick of the copter. After getting out of his seat and passes Agent Scott in order to get behind him he turns to look at him. "Do you know how to fly a chopper?"

"Yeah."

"Then fly this puppy." he firmly stated pointing to his seat.

Chucks watches as Agent Scott quickly gets into Travis seat and grabs the stick. Chuck immediately gets up from his seat and heads back to where Travis is. He sees him holding a parachute in his right hand. "What are you doing?" Chuck screamed.

"Something very crazy dude."

Chuck looks at Travis, the parachute, Sarah dangling out of Archer's chopper, and then back to Travis again. "No you're not!" screamed back Chuck shaking her head. "If anyone is going to do something crazy to save the woman I love it's me." he added pointing to himself.

"You have the intersect in your head." Travis screamed back. "I'm not going to let you risk your life. You're too valuable to the team dude!" he added putting on the parachute.

"No way!" responded Chuck grabbing the front of the parachute.

"You got to trust me man!"

As Travis and Chuck argue over who is going to save Sarah in their chopper, Archer looks down at Sarah from his chopper with Graham still in his clutches. Graham, from a considerable distance, is able to make outs Travis with a parachute strapped on and so does Sarah who is able to quickly turn just enough see him in some type of alteraction with Chuck in the opening of the chopper. She knows one thing for sure one of them better save her and she really doesn't care who at this point. As she is dangling approximately 9,000 ft in the air, she up's back up at relieved but albeit weakened Graham who is still in Archer's clutches but this time Archer is so engrossed in her demise that he doesn't l realize he's owered the knife to his side. Its at that point, Sarah looks straight at Graham locking eyes with him and only him.

Sarah seems him look down leading her to trail down to the area of his waist where he discreetly shows her a concussion grenade gripped within his bloody left hand undrneath his suit coat. Graham was able to procure the grenade from the dead soldier in the conference room just before Archer started shooting at him. He somehow was able to conceal it from Archer and Khan all this time. Archer nods down at her to which he she nods back. Sarah sees Graham pull the pin, grips the trigger tightly, and then immediately stomp Archer's left foot.

When Archer loosens his grip around his neck he immediately spins around slapping both arms down. The remaining strength Graham has he uses to place him in tight bear hug locking Archer's arms to his side in order for him not to be able to move or use the knife. He spins Archer around in his embrace and in a final heroic effort takes one more look down at Sarah before falling backwards with Archer in his clutches.

That is the signal for Sarah to let go and she does falling quickly down like a speeding bullet. A look of horror washes over Chuck face leading Travis to immediately pushe Chuck to the side and jumps out of the chpoper. At the same time he does Archer's chopper explodes in mid air not just once but several times. The succession of explosions causes Agent Scott to immediately pull back and bank right as Chuck attention goes from the explosion straight to Travis flying after Sarah who is falling without a parachute headed towards certain death.

XXX

Sarah is freefalling at a significantly great speed. In order for her to slow herself down she immediately gets herself into an arch position with her legs bent, arms out and her stomach facing down to the earth below. She knows to stay calm and focused in a time like this because if she doesn't she'll end up flailing about making it impossible for her to be rescued by Travis who she is certain is on his way to get her.

Speaking of Travis, he spots Sarah. In his mind, he knows that in order to get to her fast he has to lock his body straight with his arms at his side. He immediately does that and he shoots towards his teammate like a missile towards its intended target. As his speed increases, he gets progressively closer to her by the second and each second counts because if he doesn't get to her then she dies. He shakes that thought of his mind for Chuck's sake as he hurdles straight for her.

The situation doesn't get any easier as he's up against two very powerful element slapping him in the face one being his hair and the other being the wind. He can't do anything about his hair or the fact he doesn't have goggles on to protect his eyes from the wind. He knows he has to endure the discomfort as he makes his way towards Sarah who is getting increasingly closer. For Sarah, she uses her past parachuting experience to turn herself in order to see where Travis exact location is. Its at that moment, she spots him coming her and prepares herself for a mid air rescue.

Sarah and Travis know that its now or never as both see the ground vastly approaching within their sight. Travis wastes no time in zooming towards her and just as he's about to reach her he immediately rolls himself into a ball and begins to actually roll in mid air. After several seconds, he breaks out of it placing himself in the same arch position Sarah is in with legs bent and arms out to the side slowly him down significantly.

The two teammates are several feet away from each other. Travis closes the distance and just as he reaches out for her to grab her hand to pull her in towards him he finds himself overshooting her. Undaunted, the newest member of Team Chuck steadies himself and tries once more. By hell or high water he's not going to let Sarah die not now not ever. _If there ever was a time to prove how trustworthy you are to Chuck now is the time!_

He doesn't look down as to how far the ground is because in his mind that will just waste time. All his focus, all his effort, are for one thing and that is reaching Sarah no matter what. There is absolute intensity in his eyes as he reaches out for Sarah who does the same. Their fingertips are mere inches away from each other and with all the strength Travis can muster he lunges forward grabbing Sarah's right wrist. She immediately does her part pulling herself in to where Travis positions himself over tandum style and then wraps his arms tightly around her.

The two see that they're less than 300 ft off the ground. Travis has trouble reaching for the chord because Sarah's body is blocking it. He then decides to do something very risky. He lets go of Sarah, flips her around in order to face him, and wraps his arms around tightly once again. As he locks eyes with her he immediately screams out at her the following three words...PULL THE CHORD!

Sarah pulls the chord leading Travis' chute to deploy. The two suddenly feel a jerk as they're lifted back up into the air as Travis chute is fully open but they don't breathe out a sigh of relief just yet as they have to contend with a forrest of trees. Travis knows they're still not out of the woods yet, so to speak, as Travis pulls down on the straps as hard as he can trying to avoid major injury for the both of them. Sarah holds on for dear life wrapping her arms around Travis's neck who does his best to maneuver his way through the row of trees but end up immediately stopping jerking their bodies back once again as the chute gets caught/entangled in the tree branches.

It takes Sarah and Travis a few moments to recover from the ordeal they just went through. As they hang there a few feet off the ground, Travis feels Sarah squeezing her tight grip around his neck. "Sarah..." he said patting her back struggling to breathe. "...you can let go a bit."

Sarah leans her head back to look around then at Travis who is turning blue. She quickly loosens up her grip allowing Travis to breathe easier. "Sorry." she replies with a hint of smile on her face."

"Thanks." he said. Travis looks down and up at Sarah. "Get on my feet so you won't be hanging on me as much." he adeds.

Sarah does indeed do that and after a few seconds she looks back at Travis.

"So, how's it hangin'?" Travis said sarcastically.

Sarah chuckles at what he says to her. She rest her forward on Travis left shoulder and then looks back at him. "What took you so long?"

Travis responds back with laughter. Afterwards they both look begin look for a way down. As they do that, Chuck is his chopper in the middle of contacting Casey concerning Travis and Sarah's whereabouts.

"Are you sure Casey!" stated Chuck.

"Affirmative. The GPS tracking system you gave me has her located there!" Casey replied back. "You should see a forrest of trees a few clicks ahead of you Bartowsk!." he addd.

After scanning the area from above, he spots it. "I see it Casey."

Chuck points over to that area to Agent Scott and they head in that direction. After a few moments the finally arrive at the forrest of trees, Chuck sees Sarah and Travis walking out in the clearing just a few feet from the forrest. He sees both of the them waving up leading him to immediately slap Agent Scott on his right arm with a wide eyed smile on his face. Agents Scott sees Sarah and Travis then turns to look at Chuck giving him a nod.

"Let's beam them up Scotty." he said patting his right shoulder.

Agent Scott turns to giving Chuck a "what did you say" look towards him. It doesn't phase Chuck any as he continues to exude a wide smile as he waves down at Travis and Sarah.

XXX

**_NOTE: One more chapter left folks. Hoped you enjoyed the read. Please leave a comment._**


	27. Live Long And Prosper

Its 11 a.m. the following day as all 4 members of Team Chuck stand in front of General Beckman in her office. Chuck and Travis are dress in dark suits as Sarah is wearing a black dress while Casey is in his United States Air Force uniform. They debrief her before they, as well as Beckman head to Arlington National Cemetery to pay their last respects to the late C.I.A. Director Langston Graham.

"We apologize General." Chuck solemnly said.

"What for Mr. Bartowski?" the red headed general responded with a seemingly stern tone in her voice.

Chuck glances from left to right at his 3 teammates and then looks directly at Beckman. "You ordered us to bring back Graham alive and do it by any means necessary." he replied. "You counted on us to save him. We ended up failing and for that we're sorry. " he added.

Beckman sits in her chair staring at the 4 person team before her. For the first time Team Chuck's record in accomplishing successful mission has unfortunately experienced its first unsuccessful one that lead to the death of her colleague Langston Graham. She can see the genuine remorse in their eyes knowing that they could have done more to save him and have his ever intimidating presence standing in the room along side her.

As she looks into each of their eyes, she can sense within each of them that they are fully prepared to face and accept whatever consequences she'll bring forth against them, especially in Sarah's. Its in her eyes that she can see everything from regret and loss for a man who has played an important role in her life when it comes to her professional career as a spy to the point where he deemed her his best agent.

It's a moniker that she has been able to live up to time and time again even before the creation of THE best spy team she has ever seen she thinks to herself. She couldn't believe that not too long ago she didn't really think that the C.I.A., N.S.A., and a mere civilian with the governments secrets in his head could actually work together as one and be a cohesive unit.

She was wrong and now 3 and half years later with the addition of a new team member Travis Riley. have become an even better team. Though their tactics are unconventional, unorthodox, and at time leave a path of destruction afterwards she had to admit they indeed get the job done. Its at that point Beckman takes a deep breathe and gives her final assessment on the terms performance concerning the mission itself.

"Do you all feel that way?" Beckman asked Sarah, Casey, and Travis don't say a word as they simply nod in agreement.

As Sarah stands there along side Chuck listening to Beckman continue to talk she couldn't but remember sitting in Graham office after waiting what seemed like hours to meet him for the very time as her boss. The nervousness she felt sitting in the waiting room with Graham's secretary couldn't compare to the down right fear she was experiencing sitting in front of the man who she would have to answer if she ever screwed up.

_"Congratulations Agent Walker on passing your red test." he gruffly stated. We're there any complications?" he added._

_Sarah could feel both her right hand starting to shake so she immediately clutches it with her left holding it firmly down on her lap. "No sir." she said shaking her head. "Thank you sir." replied Sarah with a hint of nervousness._

_"Excellent. Then you are ready." Graham said expressing a hint of a smirk on his face._

_"Ready for what sir?"_

_"You're first assignment Agent Walker." Graham notices a look of apprehension and hesitation on Sarah's face leading him to question her reaction. "Anything wrong or have I chosen the wrong agent for this particular assignment?" he said with a hint of gruffness to his voice._

_"No sir." she said shaking her head. "I accept the mission." she firmly replied._

_Graham gives a quick nod to the new C.I.A agent. "All your training has led up to this and you have the potential to be my best agent."_

_"Yes sir." she said._

_"I have every confidence in you to complete the mission by any means necessary." he firmly stated._

_Sarah nods acknowledging Graham's faith in her. As much as she would like to throw up right now because of how nervous she is she restrains herself from doing so for the sake of the mission. "What's my mission." Sarah asked._

_Graham opens up a drawer to his right picking up a file and reaches over his desk to hand it to Sarah. She takes it and immediately opens the file reading the location of her first assignment: Bolivia._

_"You're mark is Esteban Rodriguez. According to intel he has in his possession files concerning a government based project codenamed Domino." Sarah flips through the file quickly glancing at several surveillance photos. "You are to infiltrate his inner circle and try to get close him in order to retrieve the information. Those are you orders." Graham firmly stated._

_"I'll pack my gear and leave immediately for Bolivia sir." she stated._

_"You're not going in alone." A look of curiosity appears on his face as he says that. Her attention is abruptly broken when Graham receives a phone call. He picks it up and after a few seconds he tells his secretary to second him in. "Agent Walker…" he said standing up leading Sarah to do so as well. When she does, the door opens behind her to where she turns around seeing a male agent step walk in. "…I would like you to meet your new partner Bryce Larkin."_

That would be the start of a partnership both professionally and personally with a man who she ultimately was never really in love with. Her puts those thoughts aside as she notices Beckman's eyebrows furrow and lips tighten together looking in her direction causing her to look straight ahead. All 4 watch as stands to her feet looking all directly in the eyes.

"True, the mission wasn't a success and it cost the life of high profile government official." She pauses for a brief moment as looks from left to right starting with Sarah and ending with Casey. "However, Langston Graham gave up his own life for the greater good in order stop a man who was attempting to try to kill one of his people." she said glancing at Sarah. "Furthermore, you should not punish yourselves for his last act of heroic bravery in the line of duty." she emphasized with proud remorse.

"What does that mean General?" inquired Sarah with confused curiosity.

"It means Agent Walker…" Beckman places both hands on her desk and leans forward looking at all 4 team members. "…be proud of yourselves for a job well done."

XXX

It's a nice, sunny day with clear skies at Arlington National Cemetery. The atmosphere itself is subdued as Team Chuck, Beckman stand at a gravestone under a cherry tree while Graham's mother is seated in a chair with a family member by her side. A middle aged priest, a marine carrying a folded flag, and a bugler stand just off to the side of the grave facing the group in front of them. An American flag is planted in the front center of his gravestone with the following words engraved on it:

Langston Moses Graham

Beloved Son

Honored Soldier

June 14, 1952

November 11, 2009

Chuck holds Sarah's hand as they all watch 4 marines march towards their location. The two in the middle are carrying flags of the American and the Marines in front of them while the other two on either side of them carry rifles resting against their right soldier. The stop just a few feet from where the rest of group as the ceremony begins. Team Chuck and Beckman listen to the priest as he gives the eulogy.

As the funeral is going on Chuck, Sarah, and Travis glance over at Graham's mother who is visibly mourning his son all the while being comforted by the family member. Sarah can't help but feel for Graham's mother and can only imagine how she is feeling. She witnesses the anguish on her face for the loss of her son causing her to tighten the grip she has on Chuck's hand.

Sarah sees Chuck turn his head to look at her giving her small hint of a smile. He turns back to watch and listen to ceremony. While standing there next to him, she can't imagine her life without him as he has given her so much in return. When she thought he died in the explosion at Mudd's pawn shop her whole world crumbled around her. She didn't care if she died as long as she would be reunited with the man she loves.

It wasn't until that the cavalry arrived she wanted to live because its what Chuck would have wanted. She didn't know whether she would be able to love again or at all for that matter because no guy could ever replace a man who is not only one of a kind, but has the heart of gold when it comes to caring for his family and friends. Sarah's thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the sound the bluer followed by 7 volley shots.

She sees the marine holding the folded American flag walk and stand in front of Graham's mother. He hands her the flag and then gives her a salute. The ceremony ends when General Beckman gives her a box containing the intelligence. She hears Beckman tells her that the star represents voluntary act or acts of courage performed under hazardous conditions causing Graham's mother to be emotionally overwhelmed.

The blonde agent is touched by this as Team Chuck commences to pay their respects. Afterwards as they are all about to leave, Sarah spots Graham's secretary Christine Chapel wearing dark sunglasses standing behind a tree trying not to be noticed. A few moments pass and there is nobody around giving Chapel the opportunity to personally pay her respects to the man she loves.

As she stands there, Sarah walks up and stands next to her. There is a brief moment of silence before Chapel breaks the silence. "He died a hero." she softly said.

"Yes he did." Sarah responded. "I owe him my life."

"He was...is a good man despite what people say about him." Chapel turns to look at Sarah who shakes her head. "You know…notorious for being such an ass." she added.

Sarah gives a hint of a smile as she brushes her hair back behind her right ear and then turns to look down at Graham's gravestone. "When I was captured by Archer, I got to spend time with him in his cell and we got to talking." she added.

Tears begin to fall down Chapel's cheek from behind her sunglasses. "Did he say anything about me?"

_No he didn't._ Sarah didn't want to break Chapel's heart and tell her that it started out about her but he ended up talking about how she was in serious trouble for breaking into his office. It was a moment that she didn't very much like and it caused her to lose it to the point where she got right in his face. Instead of the telling her the truth, she makes the decision to lie to her.

"He said…" Sarah pauses to look her right in Chapel's eyes. "…he said he loved you and being with you brought light into a life that has seen so much darkness."

"He said that." she replied with more tears streaming down her cheek.

"Word for word."

As much as she hated lying to her, Chapel needed to be told what she wanted to hear instead of the actual truth. It's part of the job in being a trained spy she thinks to herself. We lie to the ones we care and love in order to protect them. Though Chapel isn't someone she knows personally, she does care about her well being as woman who lost the man she loves. She didn't want to ruin that for her.

"Thank you." Chapel responded a bit choked up.

Chapel goes in for a hug and though a bit uncomfortable at first Sarah hugs her back. After a few seconds, Chapel releases the hug giving her a smile. Sarah parts ways with her leaving her to give her last respects to Graham. As she heads back to Chuck and the rest of the team, she takes one last look back to see Chapel kneel down to kiss the late director's gravestone with her hand.

XXX

It's 8pm on a Friday night at Casa Bartowski where a birthday celebration is taking place in honor of one Sarah Walker otherwise known as DeAnna Wexler. The house is full of party goers consistning mainly friends and family of Sarah, as well as, employees of Chuck's business that were invited as well. Plus, two party goers that unexpectedly arrived…Jeff and Lester. Sarah didn't know who invited them but she suspected that they either crashed or Morgan invited them…she leaned toward the latter.

She walks up to Casey who is currently at the bar drinking some whiskey and smoking a cigar. She tells Casey to smoke outside or put it out to where he responds with a resounding grunt but that doesn't deter her any. The birthday girl points to the back porch where he inevitably goes to and finds that he's not the only one out there as Sarah's father is smoking a cigar as well. The two men nod acknowledging each other's presence.

The party is in full swing with Sarah talking with all her guest that includes Rusty and Isabel Ryan with their son Charles John Ryan. Chuck is also talking with guest to see if their having fun, but as he does he keep a close on Jeff and Lester to make sure they don't cause any trouble. The couple unite to work the room talking to other couples such Jayne and Casey then Morgan and Anna. Chuck then hears the doorbell ring. When he goes to open the door, there stands Travis, his wife Shannon, their 3 kids, and their nanny.

"What's up Chuck." he said.

"Hey guys…" he replied ushering them into the house. "…glad you can make it."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world dude." responded Travis holding a birthday gift in one hand and his oldest daughter in the other. "Where is the birthday girl?" he added look around.

Upon saying that, Sarah appears greeting Travis and his family giving them all hugs Travis hands her his gift and greets her the celebratory happy birthday. He is about to lead his family into the party when he realizes he hasn't introduced the couple to their nanny.

"Oh guys…" he said motioning for her to come forward. "…this is our nanny Chloe. Chloe these are my friends Sarah and Chuck." he added with a wide smile on his face.

Chuck and Sarah see a beautiful woman who is around her mid to late 20's, 5'6, green eyes, small hoop earrings somewhat cover by her short dark shoulder length hair, wearing jeans, black top, black ankle high heeled boots, and carrying a diaper bag that is hanging on her right shoulder.

"Nice to meet you Chloe" Sarah said being the first to shake her hand with Chuck following suit after her.

"Thanks for inviting me." Chloe responded expressing a smile. "Happy birthday by the way."

"Thanks. Any friend of Travis is a friend of ours." Chuck replied motioning the family towards the main room.

"Come join the party." Sarah stated. "You haven't missed the cake or ice cream if that's what you're thinking."

"Sweet." replied Travis as Chuck slaps him on the left shoulder.

The party continues on until the lights go out. After a few moments, Chuck rolls out the lighted birthday cake inevitably beginning the happy birthday song sun in union by all the guests. Sarah stands there in front of the black leather couch touched and bit embarrassed by all the attention she's getting. As this is happening, cameras are flashing all around capturing the special moment in digital form.

When the song ends she turns to Chuck who smiles at her giving her a quick hug. "Make a wish honey."

Sarah smiles as she turns to look at everybody in the room. In that moment, she sees all the smiling of the people that have come to be a part of her life through Chuck. She sees Devon with her arm around his wife Ellie. She sees Anna with Morgan who wasn't fired for setting Chuck's business on fire but put on probration according to him. A smiling Jayne leaning against Casey who is wearing a birthday party hat put there by his girlfriend. From the look on his face he's not such so much smiling as he acknowledging the torture he's going through at this very moment, which amuses her to no end. She then sees Jeff and Lester…she quickly moves on.

She continues to scan the room seeing her mother and father arm in arm proudly looking at their youngest daughter. Next to them is her sister Cassidy with her date that Ellie set her up with Daniel. From the looks of things they are actually hitting off quite nicely. She makes a mental note to talk with her to see how its going. She then spots Ellie's wedding planner and her husband with The Ryans right beside them with CJ in Isabel's arms.

Lastly, she ends with Travis and his family. She sees Travis throwing up his right hand forming a v shape greeting. She immediately figures out after watching a Star Trek episode with Chuck that it's the Vulcan salute in which he's telling her to live long and prosper. She points at Travis and gives him a quick head nod acknowledging the gesture from her friend/teammate. Its at that point, she closes her eyes makes a wish and then leans forward holding back her hair to blows out the candles on her cake.

Sarah hears resounding applause around the room. When the lights turn on she has a smile on her face and then hears Morgan call out to her.

"Speech! Speech!" he yelled out.

The youngest Wexler sister briefly pauses for a moment and then begins to speak from the heart. "First off, I would like to thank Ellie and my sister Cassidy for putting this whole thing together. Ladies…" she said shaking her head. "…I'm honored and touched that you went all out for me."

"Love you D." yelled out Cassidy with a huge smile on her face.

"Love you too Cass." she responded back. She gather her thoughts once again. "Second, I'm thankful for my mom and dad who I love very much." Sarah sees her dad nod and her mom Emily blow her a kiss. She continues on nearly tearing up but the spy in her restrains herself from doing so. "For everyone else, I'm lucky to have gotten to know you and consider you friends who I will cherish for the rest of my life." she added.

She hears another round of applause causing her to hush the crowd because in her mind if they continue to do so she'll cry. "Finally, I would like to thank my loving boyfriend Chuck Barwoski." she stated looking at with him with a huge smile on her face. "If it wasn't for him this whole thing would have never happened. I love you with all my heart and I wouldn't be the woman I am now if it wasn't for you."

Chuck leans down and kisses her on the lips. As they are locking lips, they both hearing a claps, hoops, hollers, the sound of awwws, and a clearly audible grunt from their resident party pooper Casey. Sarah separate her lips from Chuck as he gives her his all-too-familiar smile that just melts her heart. Its at that point she turns to the crowd and says the words everybody, mainly Travis, has been waiting for.

"Time for cake!" she yelled out.

Travis is about to pounce when Chuck suddenly holds up his hands getting everybody's attention. "Wait! Can I have your attention please."

"Dude…" he said looking at the dessert in front of him. "…cake."

"Just give me a minute buddy." Travis nods and backs up a bit disappointed. Chuck address the crowd once again. "Look, I know the birthday girl doesn't open her presents till after the dessert but me being the one who planned this shindig I think she will make an exception." he said turning to Sarah.

Chuck reaches over takes both of her hands and looks straight into her eyes. "I just want to say thank you for coming into my life when things were bad and completely turning my life upside down in a good way of course." At this point, all the females in the room start shedding tears as they see the display of affection he's expressing towards Sarah. "I want to show you how much you mean to me by giving you this." he stated taking something out of his left from pocket.

Sarah looks to see it's a small pouch and wonders what he's gotten for her. He hands it to her leading everyone in the room with the exception of Awesome and Ellie wondering what it is. When she takes whatever is inside out she is absolutely speechless as she holds the object in front of her. Sarah looks immediately at Chuck. "Wow, it's beautiful." she said in stunned amazement.

"It's my mother's charm bracelet." he retorted reaching over for her right wrist. He takes the bracelet from her hand, unclasps it, and places it around her right wrist. "It good luck. My dad gave it to her when Ellie was born." he added glancing over at Ellie who is wiping away tears from her fears as she is being comforted by Awesome. "I think she would be honored if you wore it."

Sarah has no words to say at this point at the tears begin to flow from her eyes. She reaches up wrapping her arms around Chuck's neck and lifts herself up to kiss him. The two get lost in the kiss as their tongues dance in each other's mouths. They eventually stop when they suddenly hear the sound of a clearing throat several times. When they simultaneously turn they see its Travis who is getting a bit antsy for some cake leading both of them to smile and laugh while in each other's arms.

"Okay Trav, now its time for…" Chuck doesn't even complete the sentence as Travis is the first one in line for cake. Sarah can only laugh as she takes the knife on the table beside the cake and starts cutting it.

XXX

Its midnight as Chuck and Sarah find themselves walking hand in hand barefooted on Santa Monica Beach. The party was a huge success with the part goers having fun and having their fill of cake and ice cream. Sarah unwrapped many of her presents and was very thankful, as well as appreciative for what her friends have given her although she could have done without Jeffster's gift of a drunken musical serenade.

It has been a long time since she has celebrated anything since joining the C.I.A. she thought to herself. Sarah couldn't wipe the smile off her faces as she glances over to not only see the waves washing up on the beach, but the full moon reflecting off the water. In her mind, nothing or no one could ruin this seemingly perfect moment for her as she briefly closes her eyes and takes a deep breathe. When she opens her eyes, she begins talking to man walking right beside her to her left.

"Chuck, I want to talk about something." she softly said.

Chuck immediately stops to where Sarah turns to look at him. "I'm sorry I low jacked you." Chuck blurted out. "I know I should have told you instead of Trav telling you." he said with the sound of regret in his voice.

"No, that's not what I wanted to talk about." she replied shaking her head. "Although, by you not telling me has saved my life on one other occasion I recall and for that I thank you." she added

"So, you're not mad?" wondered Chuck with absolute curiosity.

Sarah shakes her head. "I'm more impressed than mad." she responded. She sees a look of bewilderment on his face leading her to explain. "I'm impressed by the fact you always have my best interest at heart concerning my gold locket and would do everything in your power to get it back." the C.I.A. agent added reaching up and cupping her right hand on Chuck's left cheek.

"Yes I would because I love you because my heart is yours…"

"For all time." interjected Sarah completing the saying inscribed in the locket.

The share a brief kiss under moonlight. "So what did you want to talk to me about then" he asks.

Sarah turns and stands right in front of Chuck with the moon, as well as ocean water in the background.

"When I thought you died in that explosion my whole world fell apart." Sarah sees Chuck about to respond but immediately stops him. "Let me speak please, its important that you hear this coming from me." she said. Chuck nods. "You are an amazing man Chuck Bartowski and from the minute I first stepped into Buy More I would see how amazing you truly are." Sarah begins to tear up. "No man has ever loved and cared about me like you. You have gone out of your way to plan my birthday that I will always remember. You have given so much to me." she said placing her hand on her chest as tears roll down her cheek. "Chuck, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Sarah suddenly gets down on one knee and looks up at him. "Charles Irving Bartowski, will you marry me?"

Chuck stands there looking down to see Sarah on bended knee proposing to him. He smiles as he takes something out of his pocket. "You beat me to it." he responded as he shows her his grandmother's wedding ring between his fingers.

Sarah can only smile at this point as Chuck places it on her finger. After briefly looking at it, she looks up at him "Well, what's your answer?" she said tears rolling down her cheeks.

Chuck stands there a minute purposefully making her wait for his answer. He suddenly flashes his oh so familiar smile that she loves to see. "Sarah Walk…DeAnna Wex…, oh who cares." he said lifting her up into his embrace. " Yes, I'll marry you."

The two share a passionate kiss on their beach. Chuck and Sarah can't help but smile as they do leading the newly engaged man to swing her around causing Sarah to laugh as she's being spun around. Chuck stops to kiss her one more time and then sets her down but still locked in the embrace. As he looks down at her beautiful smiling face, a question comes to mind.

"I forgot to ask you earlier, when you made your wish did it come true?"

"I can't tell you that." Sarah said. "It's a secret." she added.

Chuck turns Sarah around and wraps his around her. The couple looks out into the night filled night sky with moon reflecting on the surface of the water. "Well, I hope it comes true." he said kissing the top of her head."

Sarah closes her eyes savoring the moment. _It already has._

**THE END**

XXX

_**NOTE: I hope you enjoyed this story as much I enjoyed writing. Look out for my next installment Chuck vs. The Gauntlet coming out soon. As usual, please leave a comment.**_


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